New Years Resolutions: Reading about Running

I have three goals for this year: 1) be grateful for my home, 2) keep writing, and 3) accomplish running goals

I will be writing about the third goal.

Ever since I ran this Ultra Ragnar in August of this year, I feel like the only limits are the ones I set on myself. It is kind of silly that running would open the world to me, but for whatever reason, it has. Like traveling has, but I can do it anywhere. I want to see how far I can go.

So, this year I have registered, planned out my training schedule, and even started running long runs on Saturdays in preparation for my distance goals. But despite the schedule, I know that I am already training.

One of my realizations while I was running the Ragnar that I didn't train for, is that I did train for it. Not by running long distances though, which is what I had previously thought I needed to do in order to run long distances. I thought I was not ready to run 30 miles because had only been doing cross-fit, yoga, and small runs here and there. The truth is, I was training. I was actually training better doing those things than I would have if I would have "trained" the way I thought I needed to. By contributing to my overall fitness, I was uninjured, I wasn't fatigued, I knew how to breath, and I had a mental toughness that surprised myself.

Here is the thing about life, it doesn't fit into compartments. Everything bleeds over into each other. For example, I am in my first year of teaching, and I think,"I don't know how to teach." Well, I have been a mom, I have been a teacher in church for youth, I researched teen pregnancy prevention during my master's program, I tutored middle school kiddos after school, I play the guitar and sing, I know how to use Microsoft word really well, and I love to learn. All of those things make me an engaged and, not perfect, but effective teacher.

Ready to Run:Unlocking Your Potential to Run, is the book I am reading. The author combines cross-fit training and running. It is perfect for me. I am learning about mobility, and movement.  Quality movement is more important than I had previously understood to running, and I am sold on it. With my workouts, I have had to move in different ways: deep squats with my heels pressing my heels down into the ground,  arms high over my head in a V shape with my head peeking through, and resistance bands pulling my arms, hips, legs, and shoulders at the joints. The weights I lift are not heavy, but the movement is good. All of those actions contribute to my movement, the movement that allows me to run, and I enjoy running.

This book is showing me that the way I sit during the day, and the movement I use when I am at my desk, or walking down the hall, also contributes to my overall quality of movement, and it just makes sense that I will be an uninjured and efficient runner if I improve my daily movement. I can sit straighter and engage my core muscles. I can hold my kindle out in front of me instead of hunching over, and I can keep my feet in a balanced position while I stand and lecture.

I run for me. Often, I run with friends, and that makes it even better, but I don't run FOR them. I tried doing that, running for other people, and it doesn't work for me. It makes me miserable.

In high school I ran for other people. I mean, I liked running, but I hadn't figured out how to run for myself. Every track meet, I was worried about the people watching me, and if my coach thought I was fast enough, and who would be watching from the stand. I ended up not running cross-country and going out for soccer, even though I was way better at cross-country. It is because we never won a game on the soccer team, so I didn't feel any pressure to perform at all. I could play soccer for me. Every 400 meter race I would be nearly crippled by anxiety to perform. I didn't know it was anxiety. I thought I was just nervous, but nausea and headaches before a race aren't normal. When the gun would shoot I was already exhausted by the emotions my body was dealing with. I am so over that.

I run because I can run.

I am able. I am healthy. My body is capable. I can breath. It is simple- running. One foot in front of the other. Running speaks to me and tells me about myself. It tells me I am stronger than I ever thought. It tells me that hills are temporary. It tells me temperature doesn't stop me. It reminds me that I have to fuel myself properly. Running keeps me moving forward. Running is my metaphor for life, and I love a good metaphor.