Yard Work and Running

Yard work has never been my favorite thing to do. But the last few months I’ve been doing yard work 2 to 3 days a week, sometimes more. I have begun to look at yard work in a therapeutic way. I think of it in a way similar to my mandated daily outpatient sessions last year that I didn’t want to do, but I had to. If I were going to get better, I had to go to therapy sessions. Plus, it was a condition of my release from the hospital. I hate doing yard work, but if the yard is going to look better, I have to do it. And I need something to occupy my time the way running used to.

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It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to run. That was always my preferred therapy for everything. If I had a bad day at work, I could come home and go for a run and feel better. If I had a good at work, I could come home and go for a run and feel great. Running was my alone time. Just me and my thoughts. No ear buds with music, rarely a running partner, no fancy GPS. Just me, my thoughts, and the road. I had routes that I knew the distances and my wrist watch to keep time.

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I would log my runs on a fitness website and track my pace and miles for the month and year. I set goals and tried to achieve them. I was only in competition with myself. Even most of the races I ran, I only competed against myself, whether it was a distance race, mud run, or triathlon. I liked the challenge of pushing myself and seeing what I was able to accomplish. I was never the fastest, but I was committed and could push myself for miles and miles. I loved exploring my limits. And I miss how running kept me in shape.

With yard work, there’s nothing to track. There’s nothing to compete against with myself. Does anyone care if I mowed the yard faster this time as opposed to last time? I don’t. And if you do, well, you might need some help. LOL. The only ones that notice my yard work are the guys that come by weekly with the truck to remove the yard waste I put by the curb. Most weeks there’s a good amount. I’m sure those guys hate me by now. Maybe they’re tracking it. Maybe they have a chart of houses where they pick up from and I’m at the top of the list for most yard waste. I’ll have to ask them next week.

My yard looks 10 times better than it did a few months ago. I’ve cut down 3 trees, trimmed others, mowed, raked, pulled weeds, clean some vines from some of the fences, transplanted grass in hopes it will grow in spots that grass is not growing. It’s a lot of work and I’m not sure I enjoy the yard work, but I am enjoying the progress I see in my yard. That helps motivate me to keep doing it. But no matter what, yard work will never fully take the place of running for me. But for now, it will have to suffice as a substitute, something to get me outside and active.

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I really need to get back to working on my book. I’ve put it on a back burner for too long for now. I need to get back to working on my blog more seriously and coming up with better topics. I haven’t run out of things to write, but I am selective in what I chose to share right now. If any of you that have been following me for a while, or even just recently found Story of My Life, and have a topic suggestion or question, let me know. I might find some inspiration in it. Until next week….

Thanks for reading. Good day, God bless.

Dave

15 thoughts on “Yard Work and Running”

  2. Running and gardening/yard work are 2 of my favorite forms of therapy also. I think they’re like active meditation. So much gets worked out on the road or trail, and in the dirt and grass. Just keep writing from your heart. I find that when I try to come up with topics, the response is blah. When I pour myself out, especially those hard things, the parts of my life I don’t know if I want to share, the response is overwhelming. Your words will be therapy not only for you, but will give hope to someone who reads them. Get back on the book – you will never regret it. Check out Stephen Pressfield’s book The War of Art – it may help get your book off that back burner. Any chance of running again in the future?

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  3. I for one think its great. I love yard work, and wish I could still do it. I love that I can still ride my snapper mower and cut the grass. Can’t weed eat or edge, but after I mow and look over the yeard I feel so good. Matter of fact, I’m gonna mow in a little while. Keep up that yard work it makes your place look better. Happy Day after father’s Day SON

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  4. I love some yard work. There’s something about dealing with other living things, some of which nurture us (veggie garden and wood, mostly kindling, for the wood stove). Being out in nature, when I feel safe (near the house, with someone else, etc.) soothes me. i don’t think of it as exercise or anything like that.

    If you can’t run, can you swim? You can compete against yourself, it’s low impact, and most communities have public indoor pools where you can lap swim at certain times. Swimming is my exercise, which I don’t do nearly enough. My husband rides a bike. We work/live in the same house and are mostly together 24/7, exercising separately not only works for our bodies, but helps “us” too.

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  5. You are quite the writer of feeling. I would like to read/understand/ your feelings/thoughts on God in your life. You helped put Him back in my life years ago and I thank you for that. I was cleaning our the desk last night and found my Baptism certificate along with a flood of positive memories. You are an inspiration to others without even knowing it. Much love and thanks for all you have done for me. Love to You!

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  6. Yard work sounds great. You can track your progress and see a difference in the world. But I’ve hired someone to do my yard work. I know I’m missing something. (I’d prefer to walk and write.)

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