Running Motivation

I have started really running again. Today I ran farther than I have in a long time. It felt good, part of the time. I am not gonna lie though, it was hard, really hard to keep going. But what I really enjoyed was the way I felt after the run. Oh, how I love the post-run high. It has never let me down. I have to keep chasing it, but such is life with any good thing. 

The effort is worth the after effects. 

It is so hard having to basically start over again. A little over a year ago I ran a marathon, and now I am happy to not die when I run 5-6 miles. With the mono and crazy illness year, not only was I sick, but I did not exercise consistently. I became out of shape and my body feels like I am running with wet cement for muscles. Losing all the strength I had gained was certainly not my plan after conquering 26.2 miles. Not only did I not exercise, but with the sickness taking so much out of me, it is like my body is a pile of rubble that needs to be rebuilt from below ground zero. 

Fun. 

But I have been here before -- at the starting line -- and I will keep slowly pushing forward until running feels good again, and I feel good again. And eventually my wet cement muscles will start to firm and harden. I have to remind myself the reason it does not feel great right now is not from anything out of the ordinary, it is simply because I am horribly out of practice. My mind thinks I should be able to just go, since I have run countless miles in the past; but my body is like, "Whoa, mama, slow the flesh down, and pace yourself!"

I am trying really hard not to overdo it. But I always struggle to know when it is time to push a little harder and go a little farther, or faster... or if I should just continue on slow and steady. I will say that after my longer run today, I feel better after-effects than when I take the shorter route. So, maybe there is something to it. Maybe I am ready to push a little harder? I guess I am just afraid of set-backs, because I really do not want to go down the severe sickness road again. 

I will keep putting on my running shoes and heading out the door. I hope to recover myself again... or better yet, I hope to create a new and better version of me. (I have also been doing strength-training, to rebuild my mushy muscles.) 

I just want to run free again and feel awesome. 

I know it is possible. 

This was me during marathon training back in 2016. I ran all the time. This was on the beach at the Oregon coast, where I ran my miles in the sand. It was glorious, and I felt so great and free. I will reclaim my freedom again. 

Here are some great running quotes I found Google searching. I love them! If you have never tried running, it really is fantastic. If I can do it, so can you! The first time a ran when I was 17, I could only go half a mile without dying. I kept running and have always tried to make it a part of my life since then -- with varying degrees of success -- but I've always kept the desire to get out there and keep running! Running is for any body type... I have seen all shapes and sizes out there running marathons. Just take it slow, and amazing things will happen over time!