My friends that I run with are so kind but they can only slow down so much for so long. I am now only running with them about twice a week. I start out with them and then watch as they pull ahead. When they realize I am gone they come back or wait saying, "We want to run with you" but quickly pull away as they engage in more conversation.
I had a few break downs at first (pretty silly I know) crying at 5:00 in the morning is such a lovely thing :) I hate holding them back. It's just that my body doesn't want to cooperate.
I was reading an article in Runners World. The lady wrote how as she was running up a hill she was saying to herself, "I HAVE to do this, I HAVE to get up this hill." She then thought of people she knew who were going through trials who would look at the hill and say, "I GET to run this hill!" It changed her life. She decided to start saying I GET to run, I GET to take my kids to school, I GET to cook dinner for my family, etc. etc.
When I couldn't bring my daughter to church for 2 years I remember watching the mothers around me struggling with their toddlers. I remember yearning to be able to do that with my own. I learned how something as frustrating as keeping a child quiet in church is a privilege.
We have a choice; we can make our life full of "HAVE to's" or "GET to's"
Even though I may be frustrated that I am not running like I used to, I can still say I GET TO RUN!!! I GET to wake up every morning and exercise my body. I GET to make good eating choices. I GET to feel better because of these choices. I GET to learn from my challenges!
It's amazing how much joy you can feel when you realize how blessed our lives really are!
What an amazing post! Thank you so much for sharing that. I too am struggling with my running. Being able to run a 1/2 marathon in 2007, got pregnant, gaining a ton of weight, and not having the endurance to run. It's been a frustrating battle building myself to it again. I go through so many negative thoughts in my head when I go for a run and can't do as well as I used to. I think it's time for an attitude adjustment.
ReplyDeleteGreat inspiring post Jill! Thank you for reminding me that everything I 'get' to do is a privilige. I know other moms out there who are struggling with debilitating illness or depression and simply cannot do what I can. I should be more grateful.
ReplyDeleteAnd we GET to be inspired by you...aren't we blessed!?
ReplyDeleteI'm new to running (thanks to Alicia!) and I keep thinking, "At what point am I going to love doing this?" Now I know it's whenever I choose to have that attitude. Thanks, Jill. GREAT POST!
ReplyDeleteBlessed lives indeed......we too often see what's lacking and forget to see how much we each have on a daily basis. We are blessed to live at this time, to have the children/family/friends that we have, to be able to have time to exercise/ to have such incredible choices/ to be able to connect and support each other on a dialy even though we may never have met. Thanks Jill for these inspiring bits of wisdom...we have been well fed.
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