I'm still up. This should not come as a shock to anyone that knows me. Sleep and I haven't exactly been on speaking terms lately. I used to not be able to function unless I got at least 10 hours of sleep. Now? Well, I am good if I get about five hours. Yes, I know all the potential health risks this poses. I'm a nurse. I get it, But, what's a night owl to do?
Anyway, it's at this time of the night/morning that I do some of my best thinking. I am sure some of you are really sick of hearing me talk about my new-found love affair with running. It's become very important to me, so I continue to write about it. As some of you know, I finally graduated from the C25K program. In laymen's terms, that program got me off the couch and on the treadmill. And, it made a runner out of me. Me, the girl who HATED the idea of running and basically any "fool" that chose to torture him/herself with such a stupid activity. I used to joke that I would only run if someone was chasing me. I used every excuse in the book (in fact, I wrote the book!) on why I couldn't run. I'm too fat, it's too hot, I'm too tired, I'm too whatever it happened to be that I could come up with in a pinch. Basically, I was jealous that there were so many people out there just gliding through the streets of TC. I secretly wanted to be one of THOSE people. Robots, if you will. They all made it look so easy, so effortless. I'm not quite sure many of them ever broke a sweat. I, on the other hand, broke a sweat just thinking about biting into a doughnut. So, for years, I sat in awe, envious of their abilities to run circles around town.
I believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe that I started "running" at the right time. Granted, it took me 32 years to figure that out! Still, it swooped into my life at just the right moment. I was feeling really down on myself. Many of you probably think I have it all together all the time. That's far from the truth. I use my ability to be a smartass as a cover on most days. Better to make fun of yourself and beat everyone else to the punch, right? Right. I had always heard of the "Couch to 5K" program, but it seemed too hard. Something made me search for the app for my phone, though. I remember the exact day. It was as if the sign came from above. I can't always explain why things happen when and why they do. That's really not my purpose for writing this. All I know is that my life has really changed since the day I finally decided to give running a chance.
After A LOT of sweat and countless miles on the treadmill, I can proudly say that I finished the program and I am now starting the "bridge to 10K" program. Day 1 is in the books. It was TOUGH! But, I made it without wanting to crawl into a hole and die. I felt great afterwards. Well, except for that darn leg cramp! It's a good thing I love bananas and powerade!!! Sorry, mom, but I did whisper a few expletives about halfway through my run yesterday! I'll gladly take the occasional muscle cramp, though. Because, there's a bigger picture here. I feel the healthiest I've felt in a long time! I am not as tired as before. I finally have my confidence back! I believe that I am slowly becoming addicted. I used to grumble when I knew I had to go to the gym and run. Now? I don't wanna stop! We'll see if I'm still feeling this way when I start to transition outside! I don't do well on most normal days when it's as hot as Hades, so I can only imagine what I'll be screaming when I'm running out in the heat! I think I'll just stick to midnight runs!! I've even started to do a few "two-a-days" during the week. Insane? Perhaps. Dedicated? You betcha :) I even bought a new running shirt a few months ago. "Your pace" on the front. "Or mine?" on the back...yes, it cracked me up. Hey, I never claimed to act my age.
I have learned so much throughout the last nine weeks, most notably of my ability to trust myself and the process. There's no doubt anymore. Sure, I may occasionally want to puke int he middle of the training, but I somehow find a way to push through. I'm a Capricorn. We're pretty hard-headed and stubborn. So, when we wanna do something, you better believe we'll accomplish it! Something silly that I've started to do (and it has helped tremendously!!!) is imagining someone's face at the end of the treadmill. It's usually a different person each time. The person (in my mind, at least!) is constantly yelling at me to push through the pain, rise above the hurt and keep on keepin' on. Most of the time, it works!
Running really is a metaphor for life. You get out of it what you put into it. Sure, you are competing against thousands come race day. But, THE most important race lies within the runner. If I'm willing to put in the time and effort it takes to solidify my relationship with running, then good will happen. Like I said before, I've become a night owl. It's okay. I've got miles to go before I sleep...
My only advice to those of you wanting to run? Do it! Just don't EVER eat an apple before you hop on the treadmill. Take it from me, I learned my lesson the hard way and so did the gym bathroom!
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