push!

Monday, June 7, 2010
3.03 Miles
31:54

So, it definitely isn't record time for me to run 3 miles, but I hydrated last night, got up early, and ran 3.03 miles WITHOUT STOPPING!

The heat definitely affects me, and without the blazing sun and 104 degrees fighting against me, all I have to worry about is my own will, which I conquered today during my adventure.

I almost always run around my neighborhood, whether it is the perimeter or cutting through streets. Today I ran up the middle and around the outside, making my run an easily even 3 miles. Since I live about two blocks into my neighborhood from the perimeter, I actually have to pass my street and run along the perimeter in order to get an even number of miles.

Today being the first day of not stopping in a while, my confidence of finishing the entire route was low. On my final mile, I approached my street, and experienced an overwhelming urge to turn there instead of running the additional two blocks to the main road. I gave myself every excuse: "This is your first run you haven't stopped, you have to give yourself a break," "You can always run a little past your house and double back," and "You just can't make it that extra couple of blocks, it's too far and you might start to walk."

But somewhere, amidst those negative thoughts, I heard one soft cheer: "You can do this."

As I ran that one cheer got louder: "You can do this" and it was backed up by, "Keep going!"

By the time I actually reached my street, I strode past it without hesitation and made my way to the last short leg of my run, down the main street and back to my house.

It felt so good to have completed that run not only without stopping, but without cutting the route short, and therefore selling myself short.

It seems simple, but I think we all need a reminder every now and again that small cheers will help you so much more than discouraging noise, and we should be thankful and grateful for those "cheerleaders" in our lives. This post mainly focuses on my own confidence and encouragement, but it is also important to acknowledge those in our lives that cheer for us, even when we do not.

I'd like to close this post by thanking my lovely husband, Germar, for being my biggest cheerleader and best friend.

There are so many others that I could thank here, but I think I'll save those for a different story on another day.