A Calmer, Happier Place

 

It’s a new week, and I am hitting the ground running – ha.

I completed Week 1 of the couch to marathon program. It went pretty well. I did every workout – well, one of them I only did half of the intervals because it was 10:30 at night, and I was plodding away on my treadmill after the day got away from me. But, I did most of it, and that is fine with me.

The best part is the calmness that comes with regular running. There is no denying the benefits to my mental health that come with regular running.

I had a moment recently that was really upsetting and tested the work I have been doing and the healing that has occurred. Because of running I started out in a much better place and handled the whole situation in a much calmer way.

I used to be so reactive. My anger has always been immediate and immense. It makes me cringe so hard to think about some of it. But, we are not our pasts. We are this moment only, and the future is all possibility.

Anyway, I recently had an experience that shook me. I’m not going to give details because it’s not worth the energy, but I could have and in the past, would have, reacted badly. It would be far more harmful for me than anyone else involved. 

But, I stopped myself. I put my trust in someone else to handle it and keep me safe, and I just breathed my way through it. Afterward, when I would have normally beaten myself up for days, I just released it and moved on with my day.

I was rewarded with a very cool experience on my run that day. A very large bird - no idea what kind - was circling and yelling at us because we were on a bridge and standing under her massive nest. It was absolutely magical.

Is there anything more healing than nature? I don’t think so.

Which is why the daily runs are so important to me. And, this is where things go slightly off the training plan. Because I am also doing a run streak. For now, the balance is easy enough. On the off days, I run really easy and do a lot more walking. But, on the run days, I am trying really hard to do what is planned and push myself.

It feels good to put some effort into running again. I always feel better after a run.

What does running do for you guys? I’d love to hear about it. 

Lately, I’ve been trying to think of my body with gratitude. I have spent my entire life hating it, and it is time to appreciate everything it can and has done. In the past, I have pushed it way too hard, and the whole time I was abusing my body and thinking nothing but terrible things about it. Yet, I still did it all and have managed to remain in good health and strong.

That seems like something that deserves gratitude.

I love a good quote or mantra, and I found a quote that really fits what I’m feeling right now. 

Og Mandino was an American author who wrote books such as The University of Success. As so many other great authors have pointed out, he understood that having a sense of moving forward in life is what makes humans thrive.

 

This is what I am working on right now. I’ve been working really hard on healing, but I think that recently I have been living too much in my head and focusing on the past too much. After acknowledging things, the next step is letting it go.

I got stuck for a bit. The letting go might be more difficult than the acknowledging, though they both have their unique struggles.

 

I am trying much harder to stay present now and work toward the future. I am trying to remember that tiny, everyday steps slowly add up over time. Patience and consistency are paramount.

 

It is a much calmer and happier place to be. And starting from calm leads to better choices and a more joyous life overall. I’m looking forward to summer, and to the future. Really for the first time ever.

 

Keep moving forward, ReRunners, and have some kind of plan… It definitely helps.