Early Morning Thoughts
31 Jul
I think we all make plans and have these grandiose ideas of what our final destination is supposed to look like. But life is unpredictable and unbeknownst to us we are often faced with unexpected road closures and we end up in a completely different city; or in my situation country. Where did I veer off wrong? What the F** happened? My recent dilemmas have lead me to wonder how much control do we really have over our lives? How much does fate really play a role? I wish I had the answer.
I’ve always been a firm believer that we create our own destiny, that we can manifest anything we truly visualize and that we get back tenfold the good we give out; in the end having true power over our lives. Thus far this way of thinking has served me quite well. Unfortunately, it’s come to my attention that some things are unpredictable and are completely out of our hands no matter how much planning, thought and caution we put in. This is a tad unsettling for someone who tends to be a control freak.
Through it all, over the past few months I have learned that hard times show us who our true friends are; and I can say I am extremely grateful for the ones I have. (You all know who you are …love ya all lots xo) The cream rises to the top and the rest is just mediocrity. Besides my wonderful friends whom mean the world to me, the one constant thing I can always count on is my runs. In the past few years I have ran for many reasons. I’ve ran to lose weight, I’ve ran to get faster, I’ve ran to prove something to myself and to others, I’ve ran because I am competitive and I’ve ran because it just feels damn freaking awesome! But lately I run because I can be in command of how far I run and how many times I run. It is my sanctuary where no one can touch me; where I tune out the world that is spinning out of control around me.
Why do you run?
PT Girl xo
Because I still can. Some people can’t and that makes me sad.
I run because other people tell me its dumb and boring. They can’t do it. I can and I LOVE it. And I run because it makes me happy and has helped me out of a very very very low place w no meds.
Keep on Running!!
For the beer at the end!
Why do I run:
Originally I began to run regularly because I had failed my physical training test for the Air Force. I thought I could get away with the minimal amount necessary to pass, and only focused my attention on equipment such as the elliptical and stationary bike. My subsequent retest proved that my running my mile and a half was *not* getting better. Upon meeting with the base fitness folks, I was told to get out on the road. The only way to get better at a specific activity was to perform that activity.
At 250 lbs I found that even going a mile every day was a challenge. I just simply didn’t want to do it. The weight was an issue, as I thought that if I could drop a few pounds that I could get faster. So I changed my diet somewhat, cutting out fast food and soda, and increased my mileage early 2009 to 2-3 miles a day. Surprisingly enough I started to see the weight coming off, and the 2-3 miles were getting easier, and less of a challenge. Early 2009 I passed that test.
In a meeting with my commanding officer, I told him what I had done, and that I passed. His response was that he wanted me to keep it up. I should not stop and keep working. It was a moment I’ll not soon forget, and I thought you know what, he’s right. And so began my summer workouts.
The summer of 2009 saw me dropping quite a bit of weight, and increasing my miles to 4, 5, 6 a day. Unfortunately it was too fast too soon and I got a bout of Achilles Tendonitis. But a quick recovery from that and the consumption of books, RunnersWorld online browsing, and tips from other runners saw me gain some knowledge on how I should be training. I also saw in the summer and fall of ’09 that I had dropped an astonishing 50 pounds and I felt *great*.
The winter of 2009/2010 I ran pretty much for fun. No other reason for it until the spring of 2010 when I thought my 40 miles per week might get me close to running a marathon. I trained very hard during the spring and found myself completing the Frederick Marathon in the beginning of May. I also found that I had lost another 20 pounds since the first of the year. And I seemed to settle into a weight that my body liked to be at.
Now during the summer I’m running 50-60 average miles per week for no particular reason. It is now part of who I am. It is my psychologist, my stress relief, and it is now *me*. I couldn’t imagine my life now without it. It is a symbiotic relationship that is now with me for a lifetime.
I am a runner.
Ted Beveridge
Youdonthavetorunalone.blogspot.com
Why do I run? There’s a zillion reasons to run. We’re a special kind of people for sure: runners!
I started running because it was, like drinking, a way to get out of my head. But I found that it was cheaper, made me less grumpy and I (usually) felt better the next day.
Now I run because I’m addicted. Sometimes, when I’m back from a run, I see others running and I want to go out again! It’s a slippery slope, but generally a good one. For me anyway.
Thank you! These are ALL great reasons to run.
Mikie Mike, I think you forgot to mention one other reason you run…?
PT Girl, great post. As always, insightful, acutely introspective and meaningful. It is challenging to get through the down times but I do believe they happen to make us stronger and wiser.
I especially liked Mikie Mike’s comment that running is cheaper than booze and you feel better in the morning. ha ha. I enjoy running because it makes me feel good physically and emotionally after I do it. Thanks for being such an inspiration. 