Self Reflection

I am sitting here thinking about what I got myself into signing up for this lil' marathon I am going to run in four days. Many of you have been following me since the beginning of this journey, while others are newer to the scene but none are less important than the other.

If you know me at all, you know I spend a lot of time self reflecting and as I was sitting on my couch relaxing for the last five minutes I figured it would be nice to catch some of this self reflection (or perhaps I should call it a reflection on my journey) on my blog. I try not to get to personal on here because let's face it, this is about my journey to becoming an athlete NOT about my personal life beyond running/cycling/swimming; and I would kind of like to keep it that way. On the other hand there are a number of things I have learned about myself that I feel are tied into this amazing journey that I know is going to continue beyond the finish line on Sunday.

Here are my lessons:

Finding the Unexpected

I have learned that the things I love most are the things that have come in the most unexpected moments or are the things that I had to work at to find success. Take running for example; it is not something that came easy to me. I used to fret over one mile runs and now I get excited about anything less than 13 miles because, let's face it, 13 miles or less is considered a short run in my sick little mind. I never expected that I would fall in love with running especially because I wasn't looking for the love of running; what I was looking for was a jumping off point for my future goal of completing a half iron man. What does this mean in the long run? It means I am going to embrace running and continue on this journey; I am going to embrace the moment and love the moment. I am also going to continue to hold close the unexpected joys that have fallen into my life!

Training properly

People have varying ideas regarding proper training plans for endurance sports. My training plans, historically, have consisted of me having 'oh shit' moments when I recognize the event is four weeks away and I have only logged 10 miles on my bike, 1 mile in the pool and 4 miles on foot over the last YEAR!!! This year I approached training for the marathon very differently. I joined a group, read the schedule, followed the schedule and most importantly listened to my body. I know people who don't need training plans and have the personal discipline to achieve their goals on their own. I congratulate them and, in some regards, have a little training envy of them. The lesson though is that, although I am freaked out about the marathon, I also know I have put in the miles (hundreds of them) and have been holding myself accountable for achieving my dream.


Loving Yourself

I am a very happy person generally; I am also realistic. I would say that I spend most of my days smiling and exuding positivity but being happy and loving yourself are very different things. When you embark on a journey not knowing what might transpire, you are truly taking a risk. Self reflection is a risk and every time I run I am self reflecting. What I have found in every mile logged is that I have a deeper love for myself. I think the risk was worth it because it allows me the ability to love things/others without limit.

So to be truly honest I have not figured out why I took the time to write this blog today except to remind myself to hold on to and not be scared of the things that have enhanced my life.