Running Random Thoughts

I've now been running for over a year, and at the end of April I will run my first official 10k (6.2 miles).  I may run 3 times a week and technically be a 'runner', but I still feel like the 7th grade girl who might not pass P.E. because I struggle to run one 12 minute mile.  

This is the girl who struggled to run one 12 minute mile,
and when running I still feel like her though I'm 25 years older.

I can now run 6 times more than that little girl, and faster than that little girl, but I still don't feel like a runner.  6.2 miles is a long way for me, even though it's 20 miles less than a marathon. A marathon runner I am not!

I recently found a new motivation to continue my weekly runs.  I made the following comparison to my students.  My 2 weekday runs= homework.  Eating right/Drinking water= studying.  My long weekend run= exams.  My 'race' day= final grade.  If I don't do my homework or don't study, I have trouble on my exams.  If I have trouble on the exams, there is no way I will get the final grade that I want in the end.  By making this comparison, I feel obligated now to run.  I can't very well lecture my students on the importance of these things if I'm not doing them (albeit in a different way).  A strange motivator, but it is working right now. 

No matter how motivated I am to get out the door or how far I run, I struggle for motivation at the end of my run.  To combat this motivation lag, I often think about how hard Matthew trained to walk.  I think to myself that if he can work that hard to walk, I can work a fraction that hard to run.  I originally thought that the image of him struggling to walk would be less motivating when he actually learned to walk, but just the opposite.  I have seen how far perseverance can take you.  I have seen the struggle, the hard work, and the most beautiful of outcomes. It is so inspirational. 

I've come a long way in a year, but I have a long way to go to be as strong as my sweet baby Matthew!