Posts Tagged: running
#reverb {d 4}
December 4 – WONDER.
How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Prompt Author: Jeffrey Davis)
The biggest cultivation of wonder, this year, definitely came from all the physical activity I incorporated into my day-to-day life, this summer. I biked and/or ran about 6 days of the week, along with swimming almost every day. People said I was crazy. Why on earth would I want to go into the Georgia heat and humidity to do that stuff?
For me it was all about proving to myself that I could do it. That I could make myself uncomfortable and succeed . That I could push myself and just do it.
And, I did it. I succeeded.
I ran a 5K.
I biked almost 6 miles straight.
I lost about 20 pounds
I dropped *almost* two dress sizes. (I could get into that size 18, if I was OK with muffin-top, which I am not!)
Unfortunately, the wonder of it all has slowed down once the kids’ school year started and the days got shorter (and colder.) I do try to get in a half hour of some kind of activity, daily. It’s important. I want to be healthy and I don’t care if I lose another pound; I want to be healthy and not worry about if my body will fail me.
It’s been wonderful to keep pushing myself, to feel uncomfortable, to sweat, to breath heavily, and to know I’m alive. I want to keep feeling this wonder.
I Believe in Myself
Every year, in high school, I dreaded the time when we would have those horrendous physical fitness tests. We’d have to do push ups, sit ups, climb a knotted rope to the top, sprints, and we’d have to run a mile. I did o.k. on the sit ups, but that was it. The rest were always a big, fat fail, but I never felt worse than when I was running that mile. We had to run it in under twelve minutes, and if we didn’t make it we had to stay after school to try it again. And again, and again; until we came in under the clock. I hated it so much and it was something that stuck with me through my life.
I’d look at those runners in town and think, “My God, what a crazy person!”
I’d say, “Not me! I’m no runner.”
I’d blame my bad folk-dancing knee, my lack of time, my weight, my whatever-excuse-worked.
Not. Anymore.
This is my track. Well, it’s not “my” track, but it is the track where I started my bike training. And, now it’s the track that I run on. Yes, it’s the track that I run on.
Let me say that slowly:
It’s. The. Track. That. I. Run. On.
On June 27th, I downloaded the Couch to 5K app for my iTouch. I had heard all about the app, and, quite frankly, had those same thoughts about it like, Oh My God those people are crazy, I could never run, I have a bad knee, whatever-whatever.
But, I was already in push mode. I was pushing myself with every bike ride. My legs were strong. My heart was feeling good. The scale was responding. Skirts felt loose.
So, I pushed a little harder, downloaded the damn app, and gave it a go!
I am currently in week 4. This is the week where I run for three minutes, walk, and then five minutes straight (twice!) The other day when I finished the last run portion, I exploded into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. I couldn’t stop and I know that the dad and daughter who were playing soccer on the field must’ve thought I was a loon.
I don’t know? Maybe I was laughing at Miss Callahan (and maybe giving her a big, fat middle finger) for making me feel like such a dipshit—in high school—for not being able to finish the mile in under twelve minutes? Maybe I was laughing because I was alive?!
I did it. I didn’t die. I’m going to keep doing it.
Hello, my name is Mishelle, and I’m a *runner!
*Follow my training on Daily Mile!
Haiku: Friday
Shhh! I can’t talk now
I’m getting ready to go
Log some biking miles–
One month ago I hopped on my bike, determined to get strong. Then I hopped on my bike the following day despite an aching va-jay-jay and butt bone.
In the beginning I was slow, huffed and puffed a lot, and felt—at times—like I was going to keel over and die. Then something happened. I got stronger. I added more miles to each biking session, I conquered the hills of our local streets, and I found that I loved mounting my bike almost every day of the week.
In one month I have logged over 65 biking miles.
Last week I even started something new: The Couch to 5K program!
And I didn’t die.
I’m going to finish the C25K. I’m going to continue riding my bike. I’m going to push myself a little harder, because if there’s something that I’ve realized in this month it’s that I. am. strong.
