Once upon a time there was a girl.  She was pretty good combination of sassy and sweet.  She was on a journey, and she knew that the journey was not going to end anytime soon. She was okay with that, because she enjoyed the journey very much.

She especially enjoyed the changes. She enjoyed the way her body felt when she made many healthy decisions in a row. She enjoyed the way her clothes fit, too.  She enjoyed the way she felt stronger and breathed easier.  She liked the way her heart smiled when making good choices.

 

This girl, on this journey, had a few secrets.  She didn’t want to have the secrets anymore, so she told them to anyone that would listen.  She stopped being afraid and ashamed.  She continued being honest and open.

 

She occasionally fought battles; battles worth fighting.  She stood up against the bad things in her life.  Especially when the bad things were caught inside her head; doubt, and negativity, and excuses, and comparison.

 

With an armor of encouragement, and weapons made of magic, she turned the doubt to motivation, negativity to affirmation, excuses to fuel, and comparison to inspiration.   She liked the magic weapons very much, especially when she found herself in Chicago and saw familiar faces reaching distances she hadn’t yet mastered.

  

She didn’t complain, or speak harshly to herself.  She didn’t compare herself negatively to those she saw out on the streets, and paths, and lakefronts.  She didn’t give herself pity, or sadness, or even the slightest hint of not-enoughness.

 

Instead she was thankful for people to look up to; men and women who run mile distances she has only ever dreamed about.  She was inspired by the dedication of people who made one healthier decision after another to accomplish all they dream of, and then some, enjoying one minute after another after another.

 

When she returned to her homeland, she admitted to herself that it was time to move forward.

 

Remember when I was going to run the Mohawk Hudson Half Marathon?
It sold out.
When I found out I didn’t freak out.  I wasn’t upset.
I also didn’t rejoice.  I didn’t say “Hooray! no more running!”
Instead I slowed down.  I completed shorter distances, but ran more often.
I changed my fitness focus a bit; I walked away from my training plan.  I didn’t have a plan.  I didn’t decide what was next or make any lists or commit to anything new.
When I wanted to run, I ran.  When I wanted to walk, I walked.  I rode my bike. I took a hike. I tried to do a pushup. I did yoga on my back porch.  and my living room. and the mall, and park, and airport.  It was a no pressure, no plan, no drive, system.

 

When I found myself at the Healthy Living Summit, surrounded by people who were running together each morning, I didn’t feel guilty for not joining them.  I didn’t feel pressured to hit the pavement.  I didn’t feel sadness for my lack of miles, or about the fact that I talked myself out of bringing my running shoes with me.  Instead, I felt motivated.

I want to run again. I want to run more. I want to run now.

 

I want the next time I’m with a group of fitness folks to make an early bedtime and an energizing breakfast a priority.  I want to join them on the path.  I want to conquer goals I’ve set in front of myself that I’ve been hiding from in the last few weeks.

 

I want to continue to make one decision at a time to get there.  More sleep. Better fuel for my body. Finding what is best for me to get to where I want to be; where I need to be for me, and no one else.  I’ve stopped the comparison trap, and jump started the motivation attack.  I’ve been inspired to move forward.   One step at a time. One mile at a time. One PR and one PDR at a time.

[Special thanks to Haya, Evan, Monica, Leslie, and Courtney for not only their inspiring running recaps, but their willing to share it with THS readers and myself via the use of their photographs. ]