Perhaps it a sign of growing. Or maybe just a sign that I’m ready to finally do what I should have been doing all along. Whatever the cause, this year I’ve done some things that are just not me. And I’m okay with stepping outside the box.

It all started in June when Man of Steel finally came out. That was a good weekend. I ran four miles at race pace on the Friday the movie came out before heading to work. Though work wasn’t all that exciting, I did have after work to look forward to because I was going to see the movie. I have been waiting FOR MONTHS for this movie to come out. Granted, it was nice to see another movie with Henry Cavill in it. But I was also excited because it was a Superman movie. Most people don’t know, but I am a Superman fan. I always have been. As a kid, I watched the Christopher Reeve movies and even at times watched the old tv show.

In any event, I did something I have never done before: I saw the movie twice in the theater. In the same weekend. Yep, I saw it opening night and then again Sunday afternoon. I liked the movie that much. (Though, from what I am hearing of about the sequel, I will probably not have the same excitement.) I will see movies again after seeing them once, but never have I gone to the theater to do it. Yet, this time, I made an exception.

After that, I started to actually talk to strangers. Not so weird perhaps, but in general, I won’t really talk to people I do not know. Mostly at the gym so it wasn’t like I was completely in a foreign element. That did spill over to a race I did in July where at the post race party, I chatted with a few women who also ran the race. Normally after races (since I am usually doing them by myself) I will just collect my stuff and head home. That race, I decided to enjoy the post race party and socialize.

Somehow, this led me to shorts. What do shorts have to do with stepping outside the box? Well, when I am working out, I do not wear shorts. They never look good on me and it is just easier to cover up in capris or pants. However, so far this summer, I have actually run in shorts at least three times and even did yoga in them one day. It felt weird to wear them, but the good news is that I wasn’t pulling at my clothes. Instead, I just wore them and went about my business. On top of my wearing shorts, I also wore tank tops a few times as well.

The tank tops are a huge deal. I generally don’t wear them because of the sports bra that I wear. The straps end up showing in a tank top. While I could remedy that with getting a different type of sports bra, I won’t because the ones that would work better with tanks are just too much work for me to get on and off. Maybe one day I will change my mind on that, but for now, I won’t be.

Speaking of clothes, I have also started to seriously embrace color. Before this year, most of my running and workout attire has been black or as close to black as possible. Mainly because so much of the clothing available in stores is pink and I do not like pink. However, slowly, manufacturers are realizing not all women want to wear pink. So I’ve gotten some bright blue shirts and striped pants. The striped pants are in blues, yellows and greens. I even voluntarily bought a couple of neon and bright yellow shirts. Before this year, I would never have purposely worn yellow, yet this summer it has become a favorite color.

Speaking of bright colors, I also became a brand ambassador for Swirlgear clothing. The clothes are super cute and no two pieces in the line are alike. I even have acquired my new favorite hoodie (as If I don’t have enough of them) to wear. I don’t think last year I would have volunteered to shout from the rooftops about anything for people to try out. Of course, while I do it, it is because I do believe the clothes are great. Right now, the company, a Chicago-based one, is doing a kickstarter to help fund the new fall / winter line. I’m very excited about the new items since they will include pants. Additionally, depending on how much you donate if you choose to, you can get some of the new items as a thank you for donating.

Now it will be interesting to see what else I do the rest of the year that is out of the ordinary. Like maybe call people out for being an asshole. Or maybe I will walk up to some hot guy and say I hope is girlfriend or boyfriend appreciates him.