Weightloss Thursday...

Last week I wrote about a few things that I have learned about running but I didn't want to stop quite there.  I wanted to give you all a look inside my own personal story because I feel like it is so much more relatable.  So here it is...

I'm not exactly sure of what made me want to run.  I truly think it was a combination of seeing others doing it and wanting to prove something to myself.  I began running during a time in my life when I was loosing control of my marriage...it seemed so nice to do something that I could control.  It was also a break from life that was just for me.  All I needed was a pair of tennis shoes and determination. 

I took it slow.  I would run the distance between telephone poles and then walk a length until I felt strong enough to run/walk two lengths and so on.  Sometimes it would only be a few days and other times it took longer until I was able to increase my distance.  It was hard!  Most days I wanted to talk myself out of going but there was always a voice inside me that pushed me out the door.  For an entire summer/fall I ran 3 times a week pretty consistently and never made it past 2 miles (I told you I was slow) but I was doing something.

In late fall of that year my marriage ended and I stopped running.  I would walk on a treadmill but I just couldn't find the energy to actually run.  I knew I wanted to run but it wasn't until last spring that I decided I was ready to go for it again.  I set my goal on a 5k and trained for most of the summer.  It felt a little easier this time.  I had to start over with my distance but I had made up my mind...I knew what my body was capable of and so I pushed myself further. 

Last September I finished the race with a time of just over 34 minutes.  It wasn't the fastest time, it wasn't the slowest time but it was my time and I was freaking proud of it.  Following through with my goal of completing a 5k was an amazing feeling.

As this spring approached I had thought about training for a longer race but I never told anyone.  If I didn't go through with it then I didn't want anyone else to know.  For a few months I mulled it over in my mind until finally I decided to go for it and announce it here on the blog.  As I hit the publish button there were parts of me that wished I hadn't posted it.  If I didn't follow through then everyone would know and I would be a failure.  I doubted myself but just like the first time I ran I just kept moving forward.

I found a running program on the Internet that I felt comfortable with and hit the pavement.  I will admit that on days that I have a good run I can actually picture myself hitting the 13 mile marker.  There are also the days when it takes everything I have to finish a run and I worry that I might not be able to make it.  Running is definitely a mental game of which sometimes I win and sometimes I loose.

The feeling of accomplishment at the end of run is unexplainable.  It is something that never thought my body could do but it can and it does.  In the beginning it was the distance of telephone poles and last Friday I ran over 6 miles in just over an hour.  My point isn't to brag (although I am proud of myself)...my point is that you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to.  I didn't just wake up one day and be able to run 5 miles...it was a process.  Challenging yourself to accomplish things (even if you don't think it is possible) is hard but worth it.  Taking yourself outside of your comfort zone is intimidating but rewarding.  Whether it is running or something else for you, I encourage you to go for it.  Sweet run-