Once upon a time, I ran for weight loss. Sure racing was nice. But it was just an add on. To me the purpose was to keep the pounds at bay. I am not saying that is the wrong thing to do, but it was not a right fit for me at the time. However, somewhere down the line, something clicked and I went from running for weight loss to running to train but from an "exercise conscious person" to an athlete. And my perspective on life began to change. Instead of saying I needed to get my run in in order not to gain weight, it became I needed to get my run in, in order to be the best I can be on race day. As opposed to worrying about not eating too much before, during, and after runs to keep "unneeded" calories at bay, it became how can I best fuel myself to optimize my performance. And with this transformation something special, something real happened, I began to enjoy my running. I began to see it as a truly, amazing healthy wonderful goal. I became a runner (now I am not saying again that if you run to lose weight you are not a runner, this is just how it was for me).
Today, my mind set is different, my training plans have changed, and how I look at the world is brighter. I am more excited, more energetic, and more committed than ever to 26.2! I am an athlete and I am on a mission. I have a race and on race day I want to go out there and do my best. I have been waiting for my time to tackle 26.2 for over 3 years now and I have finally entered the mindset where it is possible. It is my goal and it is my dream and I WILL accomplish it.
While many of you runners (for race goals or weight loss) may relate to this, other non-runners can not. As this girl noted very profoundly, you don't get why I say no to the extra glass of wine or refuse to go out on a Friday night or why I willingly step into an ice bath. And you surely cannot understand why I am up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning when I am sick and with a stuffy nose. But here I am today trying to battle a cold but determined to get in my training run. Yes, the rest of the day might be shot and yes I might be exhausted and all stuffed up (wonderful I know) but I am also an athlete on a mission. A mission to complete 26.2 and that is pretty high up there on those list of priorities. So while I don't necessarily endorse running and being sick at the same time is the best thing ever, I am weighing my options and choosing to go for it and hope for the best. Because I am committed to 26.2!!!
Eekkk time to get ready!! Hope everyone has a wonderful run! How do you commit to 26.2 or your race of choice?
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