Lessons from a Cox- Guest Post from Tommy (Week Three)

So, Annie told me today that I needed to write a post on her and Tristinn's blog today. This post literally took all day (unnecessarily). But here goes...

What have I learned in 2019? Well… maybe what happened in 2019 is a better question?

1. I finally joined Annie and went completely vegan for the entire year.
2. Successfully survived a year and a half as a School Counselor at a middle school.
3. I decided to train for and run my first Marathon. And then two half-marathons. And another marathon. And then a 25k.
1. According to my log I’ve spent a total of 305 hours and 20 minutes training for these races in 2019. 
• 83 hours and 21 minutes running on roads, trails, and the beach,
• 117 hours and 29 minutes running on the treadmill,
• 70 hours and 19 minutes lifting weights, and
• 34 hours and 7 minutes indoor cycling.
2. I only suffered from a few injuries during this time. The biggest setback coming after the first marathon - my doctor misdiagnosed me with a stress fracture and put me in a boot for 3 weeks. Luckily It turned out to just be really bad tendinitis and I’ve had no ill effects since! Well... at least in my left leg.
4. I got back into drawing again after years and years away. 
5. I read 45 books.

So… What have I learned from all of this in 2019?

Nothing!

(Just kidding)

1. Being Vegan is really not that difficult - it just takes a little planning and research.

• And Wow! are there some good vegan restaurants and meals out there!
• And yes, I get enough protein.
2. Seriously, survived is the key word. Middle school is a struggle, but it can be quite rewarding sometimes.

• Don’t know what I’m talking about? Ask anyone brave enough to work in a middle school - words can’t describe the experience sometimes.
• Or just go volunteer or sub - you’ll have the time of your life!
3. What can I say, Annie and I don’t have kids, so I have a lot of free time. I also suffer from anxiety that affects my self-esteem and self-confidence and I get migraines from time to time. In years past, I’ve discovered running and exercise help with all that - so why not? 



• I know, 305 hours of exercise is a little overboard, but if you go slow, eat a lot of food, and pass out at 8:30 every night - it’s pretty amazing what your body can do when you need it to do something insane.
• Roads running is the worst. Running in the mountains, on the beach, and through the trees is the BEST!
• I know 117 hours on the treadmill seems insane, but give me wifi and my cell phone and I can watch any movie or binge watch any TV show I want.
• Go watch The Expanse! The best show!
4. Making a little more time for recovery - aka sleep, food, and cross training - helps tremendously when it comes to injury prevention.
5. I still got it! While stressful at times, it is nice to explore my creativity again.
6. Below is the list - I don’t think I read a disappointing book all year!

Overall though, I think I learned to just go slow and take things one step at a time. Anything worthwhile comes with a lot of hard work and patience. So, hopefully, 2020 will be just as interesting as 2019.