Just For Me!

This summer has flown by fast! We have taken a trip to see family, gone water skiing, and entertained some friends. However, I have spent most of my summer running, well jogging! I started running this spring again in hopes to shed some weight fast but it wasn't working for me so I decided to focus on the running and not on the weight loss. Therefore, I needed a goal. My first goal was to run a 5 mile relay with a team in June. That turned out to be a great success for me and my running partner so we kept running and challenged ourselves to a Half-marathon set for Labor day weekend. Most people ask "Why on earth would you want to do that? You are just going to get hurt, and you better train hard for that it's a long way, you know that right?" We got plenty of opinions but took them for what they were worth and kept running. Today I hit a personal milestone I ran 9 miles without my running partner and survived!! The conversation was a little one-sided, and the cows didn't appreciate my singing but I made it.
During my run today I had a few minutes to think about running and why on earth would I run 13.1 miles! Well, this is what I came up with...
I woke up this morning hurrying to get out the door because I knew this run was going to take awhile. The previous Saturday was a flop. I ran it alone and my body didn't want to be there. I was thirsty and tired and I forgot to get one of energy gels. So last night I ran to the sports store and grabbed some sports gels and a running pack so I would have water and a gel. I was set it was going to be a good run. I had to keep telling myself that! But I was having one of those mornings where I couldn't find socks or my iPod, and as soon as I filled my new water bottle I found a hole in the bottom! I quickly got another water bottle and ran out the door not getting far because my water bottle fell out of the pack! So I ran it back to the house and threw it on the lawn, tucked my gel in my bra and prayed there would be sprinklers on somewhere!
The first two miles I felt great and I thought about my first reason I was running. I needed a goal. Not a weight loss goal because the weight wasn't coming off like I wanted it too and I was getting frustrated. I needed to re-focus and concentrate on being healthy. Which lead me to my next reason for running. I went to see an endocrinologist because my thyroid was enlarged. I was talking to him about weight loss and how much I was trying to lose the weight but having no success. This tall slender man told me that I should just be happy with being healthy and that I may have gotten a fat gene from someone in my family and I may be heavy the rest of my life. I wanted to cry, well I did but not in front of him. I was so-o mad at this man I was more determinded to loose the weight more than ever, AND I was going to prove him wrong. I am pleased to report I have lost 12 lbs. since seeing him! (me reverting to the age of 5 and sticking my tongue out at him!)
Mile three came and I was still feeling really good. I was giving myself great pep talks and enjoying being up when everyone else is asleep. I think runners and golfers know the beauty of waking up early. The world is so peaceful and not too many people to contend with! As I was coming up to mile three I saw a detour sign! WHAT! URCH! I had calculated my run and knew my route. What was I going to do? I thought well maybe I can run around the road construction so I looked down the street and it was all torn up with trucks in the road, not safe. So I got myself together looked at my expensive GPS, oh wait, I don't have one of those, but in my brain I could hear RE-CAL-CU-LATING! Luckily the country roads I run on are a mile for each block and my "free" GPS was able to recalculate my run, whew!
The next few miles were great! I had my energy gel that came highly recommended by the people in front of me at the sports store, Strawberry Banana! mmmmm! However, I got to mile 7 and I really could have used a drink of water. My lips were sticky from the gel and my mouth dry. When I got home I was going to return my defected sports bottle and take that on line survey! I told the girl last night I was going to tell the store to carry a few more bigger size clothing because there is never any in my bigger size! And I don't know about you but have you seen the clearance section, all extra-small and smalls. Nobody is wearing those sizes! So my anger towards the sports store and knowing I had two miles left kept me going.
As I was approaching home ironically Daughtry was singing "I'm going home..." found it quite funny. Funny enough to get me moving just a little faster towards my home! I did it. All by my little self and I did it for me. That was it! My final reason for waking up every Saturday morning rain or shine, hot or cold, with shingles, just to run 13.1 miles! My Ah-Ha moment! It was all for me! I was the only person getting me the distance, it was my goal. Not me and my running partner's goal, my goal. I was doing something for myself to make ME a better person. So the next time someone says in that negative look you up and down sort of way, "You Run?"(You know the way they do with one eyebrow raised wondering why you aren't a size 3) I'm going to say very proudly, "Yes I do. And I do it all for me!"