My weekend was discordant. It ended up being ridiculously emotional and depressing even though I didn’t have an authentically good reason for feeling bad. I got my feelings hurt and just couldn’t seem to think my way around it. I recognized very clearly, however, that there was not reason to forsake life just because I was feeling all butthurt so I embraced the weekend that was. I cleaned out my closet, changed all of my bedding, helped my kids peel wallpaper out of our Barbie house, started hanging new, we casually looked at some properties locally and nursed sick kids through different phases of a fever flu. On top of that, I ran like a boss this weekend!
Even though I wasn’t feeling good in every corner of my life I felt awesome and accomplished while I was running. When I was running I was able to meditate and see myself for what I am. I am a blessing to myself. I often give credit to multitudes of people around me for propping me up and encouraging me, but when you’re knee deep in a project like this it’s important to remind yourself of where the well of power in this situation rests: in me. You. In the person who is doing it. I hold the power to my success and nothing anyone says can ever destroy the blessing that I am to myself. And because of what I do for myself, how I take care of myself, I’m able to do for my kids, my husband, my family and my students so much more, so much better and so much more joyfully. So each day when I was feeling bad, I ran outside, selfishly, giving back to myself and tending to my heart, both physically and emotionally. I ran a bit over two miles on Friday, a bit over three on Saturday and nearly six on Sunday. I’m sore, for sure, but feeling so good in my body and my heart. It’s been a while since I’ve run that far at one go. I forgot how empowering it is to run like that, and I’m looking forward to all of this training for all these races right in front of me.
I’m feeling a little like a broken record with the Run the Year challenge, but I’m just so pleased, so far. The calendar in the collage above is my tracking calendar. So far, I’m totally meeting my goal of averaging five miles per day. As I’ve said before, my goal is to make 10,000 steps per day, which is about five miles. I allow myself to do that any way I can- not just running. But I am finding that I need to create opportunities for steps otherwise I won’t make the goal for the day, and running is definitely factoring into that.
Aside from the progress, I’ve been so pleased about the community that has sprung up around me. First there is my team of four. We are called Rapid Thigh Movement and I’m just amazed at the level of support those ladies offer on a daily basis. I’ve never really felt comfortable posting about my athletic or weight loss accomplishments on my main Facebook page, but these women totally make it ok! We created our own group and we are all posting running selfies and how far we run every day. I had no idea how community would motivate me! Then I joined the meta Run the Year Facebook group with thousands of members and its a constant barrage of running posts, encouraging words of wisdom, funny running memes and more and I just feel like I stumbled upon a family all of the sudden. It’s been beautiful. Last night I sat weeping over the kindness shared and stories told and I realized that running has changed me in so many ways. I love being a runner. :).