For 9/13/25

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RUMINATIONS

A Retreat from Running – by KayCee

A few months ago, I was presented with the opportunity to go to Greece with a group of women, only one of whom I know. It was a chance to “see breathtaking landscapes, savor local cuisine, and engage in gentle yoga sessions and evening circles to reconnect to our innate creativity.” It was also going to be 7 days of no running for me, due to the location of the villa where we would be staying.

Initially I was a bit apprehensive on many fronts since this trip would certainly challenge myself. Would I get along with these women? Would my international flights be on time, or would I be stranded in a strange country? Would I lose my fitness and gain 15 pounds? How would I manage with no cell phone data plan?

It wound up being the trip of a lifetime. The island of Zakynthos was incredibly beautiful, filled with olive trees, blue caves, and water the color of Cool Blue Gatorade. The nine retreat attendees bonded over copious amounts of baklava, hummus, squid and white wine. Waking up early for 6:30 AM yoga was something I looked forward to, because we were rewarded with gorgeous sunrises.

I came home on Saturday night feeling refreshed, recharged, and changed in many ways. Sunday morning, I stepped on the scale, and weighed the exact same as the day I left. I ran 11 miles at Valley Green that day, and didn’t feel like I’d lost a bit of fitness.

Jocko Willink is the one who said, “There is no growth in the comfort zone.” I embraced the challenges of trying new things, and faced my fears of not exercising fanatically like I normally do. I’m grateful I had the chance to go, and encourage everyone to venture into the unknown at some point.
–KayCee

FINE PRINT ¶Kristine Corino, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. ¶Cross-published: Facebook Shawmont Running Club (ZY Weekly Newsletter 9/13/25), Shawmont Running Club website

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