Relentless Forward Commotion.

Last Updated on May 1, 2014 by Heather Hart, ACSM EP, CSCS

My life is chaos. 

That is not necessarily a negative assessment, and it most certainly is not a complaint.   Most of the time, the chaos is welcome: with chaos comes uncertainty, with uncertainty comes adventure.  The chaos keeps me on my toes, and appeases my short attention span.   Occasionally, however, the chaos leaves me wanting to bang my head on the wall, and wonder at what age will I actually get my “act” together (whatever that means).

Monday was a prime example of one of the latter chaotic days. 

I spent the weekend doing amazing things, the kind of things unforgettable memories are made of. 

Saturday, I ran one of my favorite obstacle course races, Hero Rush, with a handful of first timers.  The day was perfect in every way, the sun was shining, the course was awesome, and the newbies not only kicked butt, but had a blast doing so.

Some of my amazing friends and new family at the 2013 NY Hero Rush

Sunday was an event that will take an entire post of it’s own to explain.  But the Cliff-notes version: I spent the day at an amazing woman’s 60th birthday party that involved a ridiculous trail run, silly songs, good food and drinks, great company…and grass skirts and coconut bras. 

There are no words to describe how awesome my friends are. But this picture helps…

My blog was gone, the url had expired.  And while I was off gallivanting in the woods, my auto renew failed because my billing information had previously changed, and I had forgotten to update it  (I believe this falls under that “getting your act together” category).  But it gets better…not only was the Run Faster Mommy url no longer mine, but it had already been scooped up and purchased by someone else.

Needless to say, I skipped the “banging head on wall” reaction, and went straight to full blown anxiety attack, complete with crying my eyes out.  Utter freak out and chaos ensued, as I bounced back and forth between two laptops, trying to figure out what in the world I could do.  My BFF Hope who never fails me was right there to help do damage control, helped me temporarily set up “runfastermommy.org” and then co-pondered what the hell I should do next.

I’ve always joked that my blog was like my third baby. And while of course in reality I would never actually compare it to my love for my children, this little corner of the internet, MY corner of the internet, has been through a lot with me.  So much of my heart and soul (and tears) have been poured through my fingertips, onto the keyboard, and onto the very pages of this blog.  So much so that I don’t even go back and re-read entries from over a year or so ago, because I can’t bring myself to relive a lot of that pain.  And I suppose that part will always be there.  But the rest of it, the “Run Faster, Mommy!” brand that I worked so hard to build from March of 2009 until now, is gone.  Every link in every interview, review, or mention out there in the great wide world of the internet is now broken. 

Gone.

For those of you who occasionally blog, this may not seem like a big deal.  Those of you who have busted ass to brand yourself in the social media world are probably shaking your head right now at my misfortune idiocy. Of course, the worst part of all was knowing that this was a simple error that *I* made.  No one is to blame for this fiasco except for me (though I do hold a slight grudge against the persons who purchased my former url and have yet to respond to my pleas, but I digress). 

And so for once in my life, I didn’t do anything irrational or make decisions while upset and emotional.  Instead I sat, and I thought. I talked to so many helpful friends who had suggestions on what steps I could take next, legal or otherwise.  I talked to my buddy Matt at ORM about re-branding.  And I spent the day brainstorming with Hope over where I wanted to go with this blog next.

So much has changed in my life since March 2009.   My loyal readers (hi mom!) who have been there since day #1 can attest to that.  There was a time when I wrote about the trials of running with a jog stroller,  the awkwardness of Yasso 800’s with a leaky new mom bladder, and how to deal with massive baby diaper blowouts mid exercise session.  There was a time when I gave running commentary about marathon training while breastfeeding, or how to get up for a 5 am long run when your kids only allowed you to sleep for a total of 15 minutes the night before. And then there was….everything else.   Things that have made me infinitely stronger, but things that I would honestly love to never rehash or remember again (if only it was that easy to forget.)

Quite honestly, all of it feels like a lifetime ago.  That is such a bittersweet statement, but some days it is truly hard to remember that these are the things that once consumed my life.  The family circumstances are far more complicated than they once were, and regardless, my boys are growing up faster than I care to admit.  Not that any of this makes me any less of a mom (or so I keep telling myself amidst deep breaths, and friends keep reminding me during my breakdowns), but let’s face it, my 6 year old has informed me that smothering him with hugs and kisses is “embarrassing”.   As of late, I have felt like an impostor in the “mom” blogging world, full of newborns, diapers, and advice.

And the non-mom front has also experienced countless changes.  Where I was once obsessed with qualifying for the Boston Marathon and running myself into the ground, I now find myself drawn to so much more than just running. While running has always been my true fitness love, my focus and passion has shifted direction (and I’m sure will again).  Trail running, obstacle course racing, functional training, weight lifting (gym rat style), newbie parkour enthusiast, and the possibility that I might actually love my bike one day (I’ve got this adventure racing bug, Geoff SWEARS he is getting me on a mountain bike, and the triathlon voices won’t leave me alone)…its all there. 

Keeping all of this in mind, I discussed with Hope the possibility of changing my blog.  Re-branding, as some in the industry call it.  Change is terrifying, especially changing something that has been so good to me in the past, but change is necessary in life in order to keep moving forward.   Relentless forward motion, you hear it all of the time in the endurance world.  Never stop fighting.  Never stop progressing.   Trust me when I tell you, this motto applies to all aspects of life.   And maybe, this gigantic social media disaster (I mean really, who forgets to update their billing info on something that is so important to them?) was a blessing in disguise.  This blog has been my refuge, a saving grace at times.  But along with growth comes letting go of the past.   It is time to step up and move on, and with a huge deep breath (and a ton of html help from Hope…) it is time to start anew.

Hi, my name is Heather.  My life is chaos.

That is not necessarily a negative assessment, and it most certainly is not a complaint. Most of the time, the chaos is welcome: with chaos comes uncertainty, with uncertainty comes adventure. The chaos keeps me on my toes, and appeases my short attention span. Occasionally, however, the chaos leaves me wanting to bang my head on the wall, and wonder at what age will I actually get my “act” together (whatever that means).

My life is chaos, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Relentless forward commotion. 

 In the coming days, I will figure out what to do about saving my social media presence, changing all of these broken links, notifying all of my sponsors, partners, and supporters.  But for now, you can find this blog (and all of the past entries from RFM) at www.relentlessforwardcommotion.com, and on my new facebook page www.facebook.com/relentlessforwardcommotion  (please go like it!).

I am certain that this new adventure will only lead to greater things. I look forward to sharing it with all of you.

Heather Hart, ACSM EP, CSCS

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Heather Hart is an ACSM certified Exercise Physiologist, NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), UESCA certified Ultrarunning Coach, RRCA certified Running Coach, co-founder of Hart Strength and Endurance Coaching, and creator of this site, Relentless Forward Commotion.   She is a mom of two teen boys, and has been running and racing distances of 5K to 100+ miles for over a decade.  Heather has been writing and encouraging others to find a love for fitness and movement since 2009.

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