How I Learned to Love Running

Yeah for real. I could not fathom why anyone would ever do it for enjoyment, much less pay money to run a marathon?!  "Like no, shoot me now".  BUT, here's the kicker, I was also alway secretly jealous of those people.  Why did it seem so much easier for them?  How did their lungs not feel like they were going to explode or their legs not collapse?  "Why are they so much better/healthier/more motivated than me?"  "Why can't I be them?"  

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The secret, it turns out, is that they weren't better than or more motivated than me.  Well, maybe they were more motivated at the time, but not because it was easier or they intrinsically had more willpower or capability than me.  Instead, it was the story I was telling myself.  I never actually gave myself a chance.  

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The truth is, running is fucking hard.

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And because of that, I wrote it off as something I would never do because I had this voice in my head telling me "you'll never be good at it, so why try?".  I decided I would just forever hold onto this secret jealousy of people who run races, and "I'll never be as good as them, but I'll be fine."  

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But then I found boxing, a non-traditional cardio option, and it was also hard, but I LOVED it.  For so many reasons, boxing changed my life, but the biggest change it brought was the realization that I can do hard things, even if I'm not good at them initially.  It gave me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone, and I learned that I am at my absolute best and happiest when I have something challenging me; something new to learn, to work towards.  

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Then a couple co-workers who I also consider friends, invited me to take a treadmill workout class in Denver.  I was nervous, but curious.  I went in with the mindset that this will be a new exciting challenge, and the only goal is to finish it and prove that I can do it.  No other expectations.  

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Guess what?  I fucking LOVED it!

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There were so many moments, of course, where I felt like I was dying (because it was still hard), but I saw myself in the mirror and just thought, "holy shit, you're doing it".  Tack on the feeling of accomplishment that I experienced afterward, and there was no doubt, I was hooked.  I still haven't experienced this magical "runner's high" that supposedly happens while running (I think it's a conspiracy), but the satisfaction that I get at the end from knowing I did it, is unmatched, and keeps me going.  

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And now, I keep coming back, can't stop, won't stop.  I'm seeing small wins and improvements month to month, week to week, and day to day.  It's all those little wins that continue to add up to the ultimate win; I can and will challenge myself to keep growing, keep exploring new things, and to live my life fully without letting the fear of failure hold me back.  Maybe I'll even sign up for a marathon, who knows?

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You don't have to be good at something to start, but you do have to start to be good.  

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Keep crushing it rockstars.

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Love,

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Coach Molly

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