9 Words Can Change your RUN

                                                      K5K:   Perspective 

I went for a run this morning, my last run before the K5K, and it was emotional! Summer was very hectic for my family, and because of the chaotic life we were living, two bad habits emerged: first, I got out of my work out routine; I stopped going to the gym on a regular basis and I seriously cut back on my running. The second bad habit was using the fast food drive thru way more frequently than I really want to admit! There were days when we were on the go so much that it was Starbucks for breakfast, McDonalds for lunch and by the time we got home for dinner I was too exhausted to cook, so we’d grab pizza. As a result of this hectic lifestyle and poor choices, the cute shorts I bought at the beginning of the summer don’t button any more. (sad face)

So I was running this morning and really beating myself up about how slow I was going and how hard it was and how sore I was getting and how those sudden extra pounds where really weighing heavy on my, and the tears started flowing. About then I passed a middle aged woman who was heading to her car and I finger-waved at her (that’s all the extra energy I could spare!), and she said “Good job honey! You’re way braver than I am!” I don’t know if she saw my tears and that’s why she cheered me on, or if she just assumed the rivers running down my face were sweat, but those 9 words from that stranger changed my run. 

It was brave of me to get out and run this morning when what I really wanted to do was eat a pack of chocolate Pop-tarts for breakfast, take my daughter to school in my pajamas and go back to bed! It was brave of me to get out there and run when I knew I wouldn’t be able to go as fast or as far as I use to be able to go. 

There was a time when I was running 5K’s in about 27 minutes; today’s 5K took about 34 minutes. But that’s ok because after I met that woman I started thinking about perspective, and realized that whether I ran a 9 minute mile or an 11 minute mile, I ran a mile!! And because I was running slower today, I got to spend 7 extra (guilt-free) minutes outside enjoying a beautiful day and doing something I love! And even though I was running slow, I was running faster than all my friends who were sitting at home in their pajamas eating Pop-tarts! And the 34 minutes I spent running this morning did way more for my body and mind than hours on the couch would have! 

When I got home from my run, after I wiped off the sweat and caught my breath, I went to the 
Sweet Spot Skirt online store and ordered a running shirt that says “Run Happy, Run Grumpy, Run Speedy, Run Slow, Run A Little, Run A Lot, Just Run”

Where ever you are on your fitness journey, whether you’re a seasoned runner, or you’re just starting out; if you’re running at your top speed, or like me, you’re trying to get back to where you use to be, enjoy it! Take a minute to access and change your perspective if you need to. Just run!