Quote of the Day:
All your life you are told the things you cannot do.
All your life they will say you're not good enough or
strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the
wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong to play this
or be this this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO,
a thousand times no, until all no becoming meaningless.
All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very
quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES!
---Nike Ad
I started running last summer, not really with any goal in sight just to get in shape I guess. I have my running buddy Kim, (who happens to be my real life hero). We were up to five miles last summer and then when school started and winter hit all that went down the drain. This summer Kim has talked me into a Half Marathon, which I have always been afraid of doing because it is very intimidating to me. It has actually been quite enjoyable training this summer. Who ever would have thought running would be enjoyable but let me tell you why. Running Sucks. It has taken a very long time for me to get to the point where I enjoy it. It just plain sucks. But this summer I have realized a few things. I realized that working out is supposed to suck. The moment that working out gets easy is the moment that you are doing it wrong and you aren't pushing yourself. I've realized that if you aren't pushing yourself, there will be no improvement. That you gotta try each day to do better than the day before. I've realized that you have to have small goals for that improvement. Alot of people go into working out thinking that they have to get to 5 miles and that goal is too big and they don't work out at all cuz they think they never will get there. Which comes to the next thing, I've realized that you don't get there in one day or even a week, its small baby steps. I've also realized that 80% of what I do is pushing myself mentally. Whenever Kim and I are having a rough day we always say to eachother "who's stupid Idea was this" and we hurt, we get cramps but we gotta "Just keep swimming just keep swimming". My friend Kim is my hero, She has Crohns and about two years ago she almost died from it. Six months after the hospital stay she did a full marathon without hardly any training. She gets up with me every morning when she can use her sickness as an excuse to stay in bed. I've seen her doubled over in pain but she still pushes through. I have a perfectly healthy body, I have no reason not be out there. I don't know if Kim has realized the impact that she has on me or the example she has set just by walkin out her door every morning. It's the sucky part that makes it great. The hard work that you put into it that makes it worth it. Knowing that you do something that not everyone can do is very rewarding. And when you work through the pain and the cramps and push yourself you get stronger. Not only physically but mentally as well. So my advice for the day, when you are down, feelin pain or have "cramps" don't give up. These moments will only make you stronger. When it seems that no one believes in you and you think you can't make it through. Keep pushing. You'll be surprised how far you can keep going. ( I am not just talking about running) Ya gotta just keep swimming and we'll see you at the finish line :)
