The Art of Showing Up
The Art of Showing Up

When I started running, my expectations weren’t exactly what I’d call “realistic.” My lungs had never been great with cardio, and I couldn’t run a full mile without stopping. Didn’t matter – I wasn’t about to let those minor details get in the way of setting some lofty goals. Run a 5k at a 7-minute pace? That sounded like a great idea. Just a little training and I’d be there in no time!

I set up a crazy schedule alternating between regular runs and sprints and saw no reason I couldn’t be at my goal within a year. Every run day was hard, and while I loved the results I was seeing, the activity itself was just plain unpleasant. I got butterflies in my stomach before every sprint, and every day I didn’t meet my scheduled goals I felt grouchy and inadequate.

Then the injury happened – on a day I was physically exhausted and should have taken it easy but decided to do sprints instead. The pain started a few seconds into my first round, and when it did there was no question something was wrong with my hamstring. I gave it a few minutes at an easy jog to see if the sensation was something I could run off. Nope – and just like that, my aggressive training plan was derailed.

With that sinking feeling that comes from knowing you’ve damaged yourself, I grudgingly decided to take a week off. One week turned into a month, and that month turned into several months more. Every time I tried to get back to training, I’d have mediocre days at best and bad days at worst. Inevitably I’d wind up needing to take more time to let my hamstring heal.

After a year of this same cycle, I acknowledged it was time to see a sports med doc. Fortunately, no tears or major damage were found, and a few months of physical therapy were enough to get me back on the trails – exciting! Not so exciting, however, was the fact that by that point I’d lost most of the progress I’d made. I welcomed myself back to square one. Running was hard, even at the slowest of paces, and my motivation waned. I considered throwing in the towel and just sticking to the stationary bike at the gym, but it was hard to give up the outside activity and opportunity to run with friends.

It wasn’t until I realized what I’d be losing by calling it quits that I gave myself permission to strive for less. I did away with all my time goals and even allowed myself to stop and walk when I needed to. In a complete departure from any goals I’d set before, my new aim was just to show up. Even if I only ran 5 of 30 minutes out on the trails, the day was a win just for getting out there. Sure, I wasn’t working toward anything revolutionary, but being outside felt good, and not expecting unrealistic gains on every run felt even better.

These days, I (mostly) maintain that mentality, and running is something I look forward to. I love relaxing into the rhythm of my footfalls. Plus, all that energy that was previously going into killing myself for time I now channel into appreciating the world around me. Added bonus: “just showing up” so consistently has led to pace improvements without even trying. And while speed isn’t my goal anymore, I’d be lying if the old me wasn’t just a little proud of my progress.  

 
 
Seen a lot of slim chicks posting their

workouts on here so I thought I'd join 

the fun
Warning : I will bully every one of you

into daily stretches, plyo drills, crazy 

intervals, lifting heavy weights and 

epic long runs
104 °F.....  As my Grandma says, 

"Marathon training ain't for p*ssies."



Crazy old lady is right.

New Featured eBibs

GPS : Connected Me : then f*cking act like it
Me: I think I'm ready to call it a day GPS Watch: total distance 1.18 miles
Fitbit: Sore today, strong tomorrow Me: Nope, still sore
You know you're a runner when...  You can say things like "I'm just running an easy 6 miler today" and  you really mean it.
Me: I think I want to skip 2020 Boston Inner me: like you have a choice
My "Fuck it, it'll get better" attitude needs to chill the fuck out
Today I really said "I just want to run, no more training programs  or races." And that's when  I realized...... NO MORE  MEDALS. reevaluating
"You ran a marathon?? Did you win it??  Some people just drain the  f*cking nice out of you
Therapist: and what do we do when  we feel sad Me: we go for a run Therapist: [nods] we go  for a run
I think I've reached that point in my  life where happy hour is a nap
Apart from being exhausted, financially unstable and nearing a mental    breakdown, training is    going great thanks.
When the stabbing pain is a red flag  but red is your fave color
Thanks for being my go-to running  friend to discuss the annoying-as-fuck tendencies of practically everyone
You ever been 2 seconds from a psychotic break because you can't get a sports bra off
I have 2 moods: - overtraining - overeating
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