Today is Global Running Day!
In the last 4 years, running has made such a huge impact on my life. I never even ran a mile in high school – and while I had tried before I had my daughter, a majority of my ‘runs’ were mostly walking and crying about how I couldn’t go faster.
I started seriously running around March of 2018 after starting as a power walker at Orange Theory Fitness. I could barely run a mile without stopping. I signed up to my first 5k – a whole 3.1 miles – to push myself and give myself a goal to work towards. I ran that 5k in over 38 minutes, and cried at the end because I felt so gassed.
I wanted to try again. I was determined to be better – no matter how much it took.
Fast forward to May 2022. I’ve completed my first half marathon, and my 50th – yep – 50th race!
From 5Ks to compound distance challenges like the 172.4 mile Garden State Parkway run – I have, and continue to commit, to improving my mental and physical health through running.
Why do I love it so much?
You can always challenge yourself. You can ALWAYS try harder, be better, and rely on your hard work for positive progress.
It’s given me a reason to wake up when I felt hopeless.
It’s given me a chance to be grateful for my body and the things it can do.
It’s given me an opportunity to fight the demons in my mind telling me ‘I can’t’.
And it’s given me the confidence to know that even if I miss a goal or don’t set a personal best, I am still worthy, powerful, and strong.
My mindset and my life have been completely changed forever since the first day I laced up for a run.
Instead of punishing with exercise like I did in the beginning, focusing on being as skinny as possible and having a terrible relationship with food, I see exercise as a gift, and food as fuel that makes me stronger.
It inspired me to start Dead Set and use my experience to help change other people’s lives.
To the people who are scared to try: just start.
Show up even when it’s hard. Strive to be better for yourself and know that with hard work, comes great progress.
I’ve had a long journey and still have a lot of progress to make.
Let’s make it together.
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