The Felicity Syndrome

I am totally, completely out of shape and what does it make me what to do?

Chop my hair off.

OK, let me backtrack here...

So, I started the month of February with wide-eyed optimism. I decided to join Mermaids again and get back on track with working out. We met the first Tuesday night in February for a track work out. She had us run a couple easy laps and gradually work up to a fast pace. It was tough, but I felt so good after the run. I was ready to attack my training season.

We also meet on Thursday mornings. At 6am. Yeah, seriously. But, I went to the first morning workout super proud of myself for making this commitment. After a couple of laps around the track we settled in to do our core torture (i.e. situps, pushups, and other excruciating trunk strengthening moves). We did one move holding hand weights and twisting our bodies so our hands touched our toes. Well, I guess my posture and form wasn't that great and the 3rd time I went down---SNAP! I threw my back out.

I am starting to feel my (almost) 32 years.

I spent the next two days icing my back on the couch and freaking out that I would be injured for life and never be able to do a triathlon agaon and will spend my days in a mumu watching The Price Is Right.

I can be a tad dramatic.

So, for the past two weeks I have been back to the lazy Jill I was in the off-season, trying to take it easy on my back. The problem with not working out is that it negatively affects my mood. Without those endorphins I am used to, I just feel blah...and like a blob.

It was last week when I was watching the Flight of the Conchords tand here was a music video with a girl who had hair similar to mine in a super cute cut. It planted a seed. I wanted that haircut.

I obsessed about it for the next couple of days. See, since September I have decided to grow my hair out. I go through this every couple of years, thinking I want long curly locks...all the while forgetting how long it takes to grow out. It is not that my hair grows slowly, it just grows TIGHT. If you pull a 1 inch curl straight, it almost doubles in length.

The problem with growing it out is there is inevitably an awkward period where my hair is all over the place. Right now it is in the "Weird Al" stage. Not a good look.

But the more I thought about when I chopped my hair off in the past, I made a realization. I was going through the Felicity Syndrome.

During the second season of Felicity (the beloved show on the now non-existent WB), the title character chopped off her curly locks after a major breakup with her soul mate Ben. I realized that I do the same thing--not because of a breakup, but more when something is off-kilter in my life. Changing my hair provides instant results. I was sluggish and not able to work out and craved something to get me out of my funk. Cutting my hair in a cute NEW style would be a change, So, more or less, not being able to workout and getting those mood boosting endorphins indirectly affects the length of my hair.

Luckily, my back is feeling better and I have ran twice this week. I have decided the hair will stay at this length. For now.

Now the question is---am I ready for a half marathon in less than a month?