This image is pasted from Pinterest where I get a lot of my motivation! Note to self: if you're ever lacking motivation, poke around Pinterest. It just puts me in a kick butt mood!
Plan for when I get back to school: post this in my room somewhere. So that each day when I get up, feeling like I don't want to run. Or I don't want to do schoolwork. Or i'd really rather just go get Chic-Fil-A than cook a meal that will actually nourish my body.
I'll remember why I started.
Last summer, I made a choice. I decided to train to run a 5k while I was home from school. By the end of the summer, after completing an 8 week program by Hal Higdon who was recommended to me by my brother and sister in law (half marathoners!) and running for several weeks prior to that just to meet the starting requirement - 1.5 miles - I could finally run 3 miles straight. Incredibly proud of my accomplishment, I went to school telling myself that I would continue to run 8 miles a week (3 Monday, 2 Wednesday, and 3 Friday) in order to maintain my 5k pace (and maybe improve it) and so that during the following summer, training for a 10k would be my next step. And I did for a while. But, as the weeks wore on, and the school work (ahem, chemistry) began to get the better of me I found myself putting off runs because I had convinced myself that it was okay to bypass the workout in favor of school work or other activities (by this point I was just out of the groove of things and was making excuses NOT to run). Looking back on it now, despite the stress of last semester, there was no reason for me to give up on my road to improvement. I was so proud of how I looked and
what my body could do, and I gave up on this because I simply wasn't willing to make time for it. The short version is, I had myself convinced that school was more important. And while my education is a very important part of not only my future but who I am, my own well-being has a direct correlation to everything that I do in my life.
So, this semester I'm not saying that I won't skip a day. Or that I won't get tired or rundown and want to stop. And maybe I will for a day, or even two. But I'm making a promise to myself and my friend (and accountability) Kaitlin that I won't give up entirely on this road. I will get back in the gym and make a commitment to
take care of myself. Because I'm the only one that can do that, and quitting isn't an option. There will be set backs. But it is my goal to be a better
planner this semester so that I can get everything done that will help me to be a happy and healthy person. And the fact of the matter is, when i'm being active and i'm nourishing my body as opposed to just eating to eat, I
feel better. And isn't that the point?
To wrap things up, I challenge myself and I challenge you to do something today that makes you a happier and/or healthier person. Because every day that I wake up and do something good for my body, or my heart, or my spirit I'm moving forward in such a positive way.
And doesn't that just make me feel unstoppable.
See you later! :]
Keep Smiling <3 Brandi
Hal Higdon's 5k Program that I used (and plan to start up again):
http://www.halhigdon.com/training/50933/Novice-Training-for-your-first-5K
Kaitlin's blog:
http://www.positivelyperplexing.blogspot.com/
