Ten Mile Run Inspiration
Hi, All.
I wanted to check in and let you know that I made it to the double-digits in my preparation runs for the Pittsburgh 1/2 marathon. I ran a 10 miler yesterday. I am sure that you have picked up from other times that I have checked in that I am really struggling to get in all of my weekly miles. I have let that go. My children come first...and I keep them busy....which means that I am busy. This isn't going to change. And I believe that good, quality sleep is just as important as getting in some good exercise. There are only so many hours in a day, so I have decided to be kind to myself and get in what I can get in...without beating myself up if it is not enough. I need to remember what this is all for...and it is for good health, building neuroplasticity to fight Multiple Sclerosis progression and damage, empowerment, and being a good role model for my children. This is not about perfectionism....clinging to a schedule that isn't working for me...or making myself crazy and risking losing the love of running.
I have been running what I can run during the week. Usually that comes out to about 3 four-mile-runs a week....and my long run on the weekend. I never cheat on the long run. This weekend, I had a 10 miler scheduled, and I was lucky enough to be able to run it with my friend, Greta, again. (Thank goodness!) Ten miles can really fly by when you are doing it in the company of a good friend!
Anyway, no matter how good it was to have her company, I just wasn't feeling that good. Before we were at mile 5, I was wondering why in the heck I do this, why it STILL needed to be cold and icy in April, and why in the world I felt so lethargic. Seriously, a good run in the sunshine would probably instantly cure me of the negativity that seems to course through my mind these days. My attitude was not the best. Between miles 6 and 7, Greta and I were running up this windy hill that would take us onto a bridge that we needed to cross for our run back toward the city and our car.
I looked up and saw a most beautiful site that reminded me immediately of why I am a runner in the first place. I looked up, and headed toward me was a woman runner who I would guess to be in her 80's. I assure you that this is no exaggeration. She had a Pittsburgh Marathon windbreaker on, the string on the hood pulled so tightly that you couldn't see much more than the center of her face with some grey hair sneaking out here and there. The most wonderful thing about seeing her, though, was her smile. She saw us, and smiled ear-to-ear as she greeted us on her run. She wasn't walking....or walking/running....she was a full-fledged runner. She, of course, wasn't speedy, but she was moving. This woman, in her 80's, had gotten her butt out of bed for a snowy, cold, windy run through the city at 7:30 in the morning. She was running through snow that was still lying on the path and SMILING through it!
Seeing this woman immediately snapped me out of my negative mindframe. All that I could think to myself was that I wanted to be her one day. Greta and I spent much of our run talking about the need for fitness for life after that. What an inspiration. The thing I love about races is that you meet so many different runners...all of them running for their own purpose. As you run and chat with people you come across and hear their stories, you become filled with their hope of what running can and has done for them. It becomes part of your story....part of your why. One of their stories can inspire you at different moments throughout a run as they sneak into your consciousness and remember what they went through and their "why" for running. When you run in a race, collectively, your "whys" become a part of your story that make you stronger and stronger as a runner yourself. The energy that comes from this is healing and hopeful.----And this old lady runner brought me healing and hope yesterday morning. I wish I could thank her.
KetoRunningMama
I wanted to check in and let you know that I made it to the double-digits in my preparation runs for the Pittsburgh 1/2 marathon. I ran a 10 miler yesterday. I am sure that you have picked up from other times that I have checked in that I am really struggling to get in all of my weekly miles. I have let that go. My children come first...and I keep them busy....which means that I am busy. This isn't going to change. And I believe that good, quality sleep is just as important as getting in some good exercise. There are only so many hours in a day, so I have decided to be kind to myself and get in what I can get in...without beating myself up if it is not enough. I need to remember what this is all for...and it is for good health, building neuroplasticity to fight Multiple Sclerosis progression and damage, empowerment, and being a good role model for my children. This is not about perfectionism....clinging to a schedule that isn't working for me...or making myself crazy and risking losing the love of running.
I have been running what I can run during the week. Usually that comes out to about 3 four-mile-runs a week....and my long run on the weekend. I never cheat on the long run. This weekend, I had a 10 miler scheduled, and I was lucky enough to be able to run it with my friend, Greta, again. (Thank goodness!) Ten miles can really fly by when you are doing it in the company of a good friend!
Anyway, no matter how good it was to have her company, I just wasn't feeling that good. Before we were at mile 5, I was wondering why in the heck I do this, why it STILL needed to be cold and icy in April, and why in the world I felt so lethargic. Seriously, a good run in the sunshine would probably instantly cure me of the negativity that seems to course through my mind these days. My attitude was not the best. Between miles 6 and 7, Greta and I were running up this windy hill that would take us onto a bridge that we needed to cross for our run back toward the city and our car.
I looked up and saw a most beautiful site that reminded me immediately of why I am a runner in the first place. I looked up, and headed toward me was a woman runner who I would guess to be in her 80's. I assure you that this is no exaggeration. She had a Pittsburgh Marathon windbreaker on, the string on the hood pulled so tightly that you couldn't see much more than the center of her face with some grey hair sneaking out here and there. The most wonderful thing about seeing her, though, was her smile. She saw us, and smiled ear-to-ear as she greeted us on her run. She wasn't walking....or walking/running....she was a full-fledged runner. She, of course, wasn't speedy, but she was moving. This woman, in her 80's, had gotten her butt out of bed for a snowy, cold, windy run through the city at 7:30 in the morning. She was running through snow that was still lying on the path and SMILING through it!
Seeing this woman immediately snapped me out of my negative mindframe. All that I could think to myself was that I wanted to be her one day. Greta and I spent much of our run talking about the need for fitness for life after that. What an inspiration. The thing I love about races is that you meet so many different runners...all of them running for their own purpose. As you run and chat with people you come across and hear their stories, you become filled with their hope of what running can and has done for them. It becomes part of your story....part of your why. One of their stories can inspire you at different moments throughout a run as they sneak into your consciousness and remember what they went through and their "why" for running. When you run in a race, collectively, your "whys" become a part of your story that make you stronger and stronger as a runner yourself. The energy that comes from this is healing and hopeful.----And this old lady runner brought me healing and hope yesterday morning. I wish I could thank her.
KetoRunningMama
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