No snow today in our area. In fact it was warmer than usual, but still just perfect temp-wise for this cold-weather running junkie.
No slush or mess (darn), but cool enough to make the run fun and slightly crazy.
If felt like this:
And no, this isn’t me. (Not hardly.)
My route was through my neighborhood with enough crumbly curbs that I just decided to run in the asphalt bike path to avoid injury. I’m not in quite as great shape as this chickie. (Ha!) But I can tell you, my shoes sure did look better than hers!
In any case, I decided early on in my running adventures that I wasn’t going to let how I looked determine how I felt when I ran, or whether I had the nerve to get out there and run at all. Several years ago, a local chiropractor had encouraged me to get active and gave me some tips on running, since I’d tried that a few times in my life.
The biggest obstacle for me at the time was getting out there at all. I had let myself get so out of shape that I was completely humiliated. I wondered how hard it would be to run under cover of darkness or in the very early morning so that I wouldn’t horrify innocent bystanders. I couldn’t look in the mirror and deal with myself, let alone imagine the awful spectacle I was sure to become if I began running where people could see me.
The other option, of course, was trail running. But since at the time I was terrified of encountering the axe murderer if I was alone on some trail, I opted out of the alone-in-the-wilderness opportunity. (FYI: Still terrified of the axe murderer. I do trails now, but not by myself. Call me paranoid, but I’m still here!)
Eventually, I made the hard decision to care more about my health and well-being than about how I looked and whether I would become the daily entertainment for potential rude pea-brains who probably never ran a half-block, much less a half-marathon. I decided that what mattered to me was my plan for my life and health, and what that meant to me as a mother, daughter, wife and friend. I decided that rather than focus on how things might appear to be at the moment (bad and blubbery), that I would focus on my vision for my health and my future (bright and vital).
And what happened was amazing. I was able to go from walking to short runs and then long runs. I never became a fast runner, but I was cool with that as an adult-onset athlete. I became determined to get those runs done. The more challenging the weather and terrain, the better runner I became. I grew stronger physically, mentally and emotionally. And years later, even after breaks from running, I know that lacing up my shoes and heading out onto the road holds the promise of that strength.
And I came to realize that even though my route may not be as beautiful as Chickie’s route in the photo above, and even though my bod may not be as fit as her 20-ish little self, I have something better for myself day by day. Because I keep on going and keep focusing on my vision, every run becomes a championship run for me. Every run really holds the possibility of feeling like this photo on the inside, regardless of my circumstances. And on days like today, where the weather and the circumstances and the emotions of the day and the endorphin cocktail combine just right, the Strong is even Stronger. And the experience is something absolutely Beautiful.
Go Mommy! 