H Town Run Tourist

How walking helped me beat the blues

How walking helped me beat the blues
Pixabay.com

Jovan Abernathy is an international marathoner and owner of Houston Tourism Gym. To claim your free tour, contact her at info@tourismgymhtx.com. Follow her on Twitter @jovanabernathy. Instagram @TourismGymHtx. Facebook @TourismGymHtx

Author's own

If you are anything like me, you are tired of reading about protein powder and supplements. After ruminating all week on my column, I decided to tell you how my week went last week. Here goes. I hope you also enjoy the pictures that I took.

All week, I have been feeling kind of weepy. You know when your friends don't seem like your friends. All of a sudden, your regular bar doesn't know your name. It feels like every thing was crashing in. (For the sake of not leaving out my male readers, I'll spare you the reason).

Author's Own

Let me tell you what happened:

1. Due to lack of preparation, I fell off my meal plan AGAIN.

2. I was almost embarrassed to tell someone about Houston Tourism Gym because I didn't want to see the sarcastic "You own a gym? face."

3. One of my friends asked which awesome race that I was doing this year and I had to give her last year's list.

Author's own

I almost let it get me. I almost believed what it was telling me until I had the thought to go on one of my really cool 6 mile walks in Houston. This one was just for me. My brain asked me, "Do you really think you have the energy for this? You got that thing later." You know what? I'm doing this. So, I put one foot in front of the other and just started to move.

As I walked, I paid attention to my thoughts. I troubleshooted them when I saw then veering in the wrong direction. When I came to stairs, I ran up them. When I came to a hill, I ran up it. I also allowed myself to stop and take a picture or write a profound thought in my phone. By the end, do you know what happened? I got to see myself for who I am really am. I am ALIVE. So, let's try again!


Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
Houston needs a series win in the worst way. Composite Getty Image.

Takeaways from the Tigers sweep of the Astros

Total butt kicking. The offense was dreadful, scoring just two runs over three games. However, what’s killing the offense the most is the outfield. Outside of when Altuve plays left field, Houston doesn’t have another major league-quality outfielder right now. Jesus Sanchez not only swung at a Charlie Morton curveball that hit him in the knee, he’s also ice-cold, going 0-for-28 at the plate. At least he’s someone you expect to turn things around, but he’s in a huge slump currently. Beyond him, Jacob Melton, Taylor Trammell, and Chas McCormick have all been dragging down the offense. Cam Smith is struggling too, with just one hit in his last seven games.

Is Framber Valdez going to be okay?

Starting pitching was another big issue against the Tigers, and Valdez was a key part of the problem, basically losing the finale in the first inning after allowing six runs. This isn’t an outlier—he’s got a 7+ ERA through four starts in August. Spencer Arrighetti isn’t faring much better, posting a 7+ ERA through three starts. One silver lining with Valdez: the Tigers know him well. They had success against him in the playoffs last season, and it looks like they’re continuing that formula—force him to throw strikes, hit the other way on the sinker, and if the curveball isn’t up, let it go. AJ Hinch knows the deal.

Is the return of Yordan Alvarez enough to boost the offense?

It has to be. The only real way to give this lineup a spark is getting Yordan and Jake Meyers back. Yordan had a successful first rehab outing, collecting a couple of hits, a walk, and even a stolen base. Adding him back to the top of the lineup gives the Astros a formidable top four: Peña, Altuve, Yordan, and Correa. As for Meyers, the outfield has been the biggest drag on the offense. The key is whether he can continue to hit near .300 when he returns from injury. If he does, Altuve and Meyers in the outfield makes a huge difference, and Joe Espada can figure out right field with Sanchez and Smith.

Is the schedule not as soft as anticipated?

We’ve seen some strange results across the league this week, and some of that has to be chalked up to the Dog Days of Summer. Players are tired, and results have been wild. Thankfully, the Mariners are struggling too, giving the Astros some breathing room. Player adjustments after the trade deadline could also be a factor—Sanchez, anyone? Many big free agents have struggled immediately after changing teams, Walker and Juan Soto included.

Can they recover and take advantage of bad teams?

One thing we know about this year’s Astros: they can flip the switch and win multiple series on a moment’s notice. They’re just as capable of sweeping a series as they are of getting swept. Let’s hope that starts with four wins in Baltimore.

There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode on Thursday!

___________________________

*ChatGPT assisted.

Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome