I'm happy to report that I'm still running. I still love it. I still get butterflies in my stomach while I lace my shoes and plan out my route. Barring any act of God and/or injuries I intend to keep running into my old age. On top of the adrenaline high I love the feeling of accomplishment after every outing. This gal needed something more than the accomplishment of keeping my kids alive and teaching them their ABC's. Running is teaching me a lot of things - the value of perseverance, the ability to listen to my body and then conquering it with my mind (mind over matter is the real deal!) and a deep gratitude for the gift of health and sturdy lungs. Believe me when I tell you that running can be a very meditative experience and quite the metaphor for life. I have some of my best "a-ha" moments around the fourth mile (or I could just be delirious at that point!)
Not all of my runs are "good runs". Depending on many factors (hydration/nutrition, weather, etc.) some of my outings have not been successful (e.g. not meeting goal pace). On those days I remind myself that getting out of the house and off the comfort of my couch is a success in itself. I have come to enjoy running in all types of weather except in the heat, ugh, I will never enjoy running in the heat! One of my favorite outing happened on a sunny Winter day. I could see my breath with every step and the snow falling around me gave it a dreamy quality (adrenaline is drug-like! lol) I felt like a road warrior in that moment which added an extra spring to my step and a boost to my running morale. Another favorite run happened one Summer morning. The day started out so humid with a thick smell of rain in the air that I almost skipped the run. I eventually and begrudgingly made it outside. At the third mile the rain caught up to me. The cooling effect of the rain on my sweat-soaked skin was amazing. I ended up running an extra mile, it felt so good. Had my socks stayed dry I would have kept going.
I think a large part of why I'm still running is my attachment to the emotions and memories. Exercising indoors does not incite in my soul any meaningful emotions or etch memories the way running does. I can tell you exactly what it felt like when I ran my first six miles but I can't tell you what it felt like doing another round of P90x (it's still my favorite strength training program).
I have participated in four races so far, all 5k. I am now at a point where I am just beginning to hit my stride at 5k. I wouldn't have been able to say that even just a year ago! Currently I am running between four to six miles per outing depending on what my schedule that day looks like. I make a goal per run sometimes based on time other days based on mileage. My race goal this year is a 15k sometime in November. In the meantime, the primary goal is to stay injury-free so I can enjoy many more years on my feet.
On my next running post I will share some things I learned along the way as a newbie runner. Until then, happy running!
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| my cold weather race gear keeps me toasty warm and dry |
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