2006
It seemed I had fallen off the proverbial aerobics bandwagon at some point in 2006 and into much
of 2007. I can't explain it other than I was in a new living situation. Things at home, while MUCH more pleasant than my previous one, were not conducive to at-home workouts.
My saving grace was Angel. She had returned to my life and she would be with me indefinitely. She and I would go running (not an indoor exercise! WOOT!) and that helped me keep a handle on what I had set out to do: get well. Winters, however, are harsh here in Boston, so my running days were limited.
I had also started bowling in 2006. At first, I was going to Kings Back Bay on "Ladies Night" and bowling for free through the night. It started to gain a bit of momentum and more and more gal pals (and paying boy pals) would join us in this weekly activity.I come from a long line of bowlers, actually. My father, Michael and brother, Mike currently bowl in leagues in New Jersey. My dad actually bowls in two leagues! Everyone in my family from my aunts and grandparents to my mom had bowled in a ten-pin bowling league for some portion of their lives. I felt honored to be a part of the family tradition.
Burning the midnight oil at Kings wasn't going to last forever...not if I wanted get to work on time the next morning. I also wanted to get serious about my game. I know that sounds silly--and don't get me wrong: I LOVED bowling with my friends every week. But, I knew that bowling from 10pm-2am on a Tuesday night was not going to help improve my game or my chances of making it to work on time. So, I began looking into bowling leagues.
Being new to the bowling league scene came with its usual levels of anxiety. I knew I was not great at bowling--or even a good bowler for that matter. What I did know, however, was that I really wanted to try. Being in a league also obliged me to commit to that activity every week. I was paying for it one way or another. Nonetheless, I started small. Summer league.
Oh, Neponset Doubles at Boston Bowl, you will never know how much you really mean to me. I only bowled in the Neponset Doubles league that one summer. But I made so many new friends that I now has a network of bowlers in the city that I could plug into for practice, feedback and plain ole' fun times. By the end of the summer of 2006, I knew that I would be returning for the fall league: BIB.
2007
BIB was a league like no other. I don't mean that it was necessarily ultra-competitive: it was a handicap league. BUT, it came with a rich tradition and it was a relaxed, respectful place. I made incredible friends, had a great time and learned a thing or two to help improve my game. I knew that this was one habit I was hard-pressed to break. I loved it too much!
In spring of 2007, I also started a new job. I loved the work I was doing at the time--science is awesome! I think, unfortunately, too much of my past and who I was had been deeply woven into my life in my workplace. My boss, Roz, was incredible and hugely supportive of the change. I began working at Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT in April.
My job is pretty amazing. I get to study the brain. I may spend a day devoting an entire blog to what I do for a career and how its changed my life--but this isn't the day or the blog. :-)
All that is to say that the change in work gave me yet another change in attitude. While I was active with bowling league and the occasional run with the dog, I was still not fit. And we won't even get into my eating/drinking habits here other than to say they were atrocious. I was back to a place of hopelessness--that I wasn't going to find the solution for me.
2008
Enter the Turbo Jam(R) infomercial.
Infomercial? I know what you're thinking. REALLY?
Really.
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