What changed? Honestly? I think there were a lot of factors. One very powerful factor was finally reaching that maturity level where I no longer give a flying fart what other people think of me. Now, let me clarify, when I say that I don't care what people think of me I am primarily referring to my body image (and sometimes my parenting practices...). Once I finally found the ability to love myself...to love the body that I was given upon my birth...well things just seemed to be easier. I was no longer hitting those "quit lines" all the time. I no longer constantly worried about how silly I might look when I run or how some people are probably making fun of me because I'm running around with a handkerchief on my face or stuffed down my bra so I can easily blow my nose during a run (stupid allergies. Thanks evolution.). I don't care if people think I look like a huge dork in my brightly colored running pants. I don't care if I am slow, or if my bellow jiggles, or if I sweat like a man. I really think that was the beginning for me.
It was the same for yoga. I enjoyed it more once I took the pressure off myself to be as flexible and bendy as the pros that were instructing me. I enjoyed it more once I stopped worrying about what my belly skin (thanks pregnancy) looks like when it's contorted into a splendid yoga pose. Another contributing factor was the incredible pain relief it brought for me (I suffer from chronic SI joint pain). It also has actually helped improve my running. Running packs my body down. It's hard on my knees and lower back. But yoga has helped to prevent those typical aches and pains from even showing up. Yoga has also been a spiritual and cathartic journey for me to begin. It's difficult to explain that part. I think people have to experience it to understand it.
Anyway...as I have digressed quite a bit...back to the original horn tooting. I ran my very first fun run on October 29th, 2016. I would never have committed to it if I didn't have the support and partnership of my so very awesome sister-in-law. I did it for her. I did it for me. Having someone important as a part of this commitment was very powerful for me. It gave me motivation and made it fun.
The run was only 2.5 miles, but included some crazy ass obstacles that I did not train for. Some of them were really hard! But I did it. I did it all. I didn't give up. I sprinted a few times (the zombies were going to get me!). I didn't 'survive' the zombie apocalypse this year. I learned some techniques I will need to implement next year. But I am elated. I did it! I accomplished something! I completed a goal from start to finish! And the feels! Wow. It's hard to explain. I'm not sure I've ever really worked this hard to accomplish something. I'm typically a "give it as much effort as I feel like it and if it doesn't work out then it's good enough at least I tried" sort of gal. I did complete Insanity once, but I didn't feel the same way about that as I did this. By the end of Insanity I had too many aches and pains (it's brutal on the joints) to really feel accomplished. And to top it off, I lost 0 pounds. This time...well I still didn't lose pounds, but I feel amazing. My body feels good, healthy, fit. My heart is happy and I got to make an incredibly important memory with an incredibly important person right there beside me. It was the best day (except for the results of the Husker game *sniff*).
So it has begun...my addiction to running, yoga, fun runs, and marathons.
No comments:
Post a Comment