Life
Running life for me is one of ups and downs (literally and figuratively!). This week, and for maybe more than a week, my enthusiasm for running has taken a backseat to something we all experience if we are lucky: LIFE. Some years, running has been a respite from demands, while some years running has helped me reach health goals. We all start for different reasons, and some of ultimately stop for different reasons.
As lousy as it feels to tell you that I completely stepped out of my training plan to oil squeakier wheels, I would bet money that I am not alone. So this confession is for you, all our registrants who are running behind (or not running as the case may be!). I let life get its sneaky, little wedge stuck in my running gears, and yes, I am a little bitter about it.
Running Behind
There are so many things to trip us up on our running journeys (boy, I am in a cliché mood! Enough of that though-it’s a sign of weak writing)-unpredictable schedules, weather, injuries, dependents…rocks, uneven pavement-but those are stories for a different day. Right now, I am talking about the excess things that cloud your running vision- major life decisions like jobs, babies, homes, chocolate or vanilla…
Well Done You!
I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate all of you who lace up your sneakers, no matter what happens during your day. I so envy that about you- but it’s really about prioritizing, isn’t it? My family is getting ready to purchase a new home, relocate and sell our current home. There were several times, where the precious after-work and weekend hours were spent boxing up belongings, searching for paperwork, completing applications, etc. Not once, did I consider putting down that tape dispenser thingy, to look at the weather, and see when I could get a run in. That’s just me though, and maybe it is an example of where I put running in the list of things to do in a day. Maybe I don’t have the mental bandwidth to make room for the run…but for those of you out there, who are like me, I want to encourage you to extend yourselves some grace. Take a step back, and a high-level view of not just these past few months, but of the past few years. See that little blip, that was a hiatus from running or physical activity for that matter, and acknowledge it. Yes, you might not have put the miles in, but I bet you did what you needed to do at the time. And you know what the best part is about quitting for a little bit? Starting again is as easy as putting one foot in front of the other.
On March 28, I won’t know which of you bailed out on parts of your training. Please know that I did, but I won’t quit there. I will however, extend myself grace in this moment, and step back and see all the things I AM doing. Don’t let the things you AREN’T doing define you.
Happy Trails!
Allison