I lost a very dear friend at the beginning of this month. It has been a painful experience to say the least. It was sudden, unexpected, and hit me awfully hard.
A week after her passing I was signed up for my first race of the year - the Virginia is For Lovers 14k in Virginia Beach, VA. I didn't want to run. I didn't want to eat. I didn't want to do anything that whole week leading up to the race. The night before the run, I said some extra prayers and made a committment to run this race for her. She was always one of my biggest supporters, encouraging and guiding me through some hard decisions.
I ended up having one of the best runs of my life that day. I didn't hurt, I didn't walk, I didn't doubt myself. I finished that race 8 minutes under my goal time with a smile on my face.
Most days I wake up and think about what I'm going to be eating, what workouts I will do, what the scale is going to say, and I make myself crazy over those details. And I probably will always worry about those things, to some extent. Over the last few weeks though, I have been finding more joy in my running. I feel a sense of peace when I tie up my sneakers and hit the road. Running outside, in the cold, with the sun on my face, I feel calm.
Take the time to do a workout you enjoy. Before, I would do a long run because I felt I had to. I would take a class because I felt like I needed to burn more calories, even if I wasn't having fun. I want to have fun when I work out. It is my time, for my soul and my body. And I won't take one more day for granted.
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