“Step up, show up, never give up”
Two children. I have two children now.
It doesn’t seem as surreal as it did in the first few weeks but now, nearly two months in, it’s sunk in as new reality and it’s hard to remember the time before two, even one.
My first run back with Chase – outside the womb
Going from one to two is huge and I’ve found myself with an even smaller amount of free time. And that’s okay for now.
Between the pandemic, the changing world of social media, and everything else going on, blogs have been sparing. And I imagine it’s going to stay that way for awhile. But every now and then, I’ll have a spark of inspiration or a story to tell and I’ll be back. That’s where we’re at today.
The Ongoing Fitness Journey
Fitness and, in particular, a fitness journey, is such a funny thing. It’s ongoing, it never ends, one never reaches the point of, “Yay, I achieved my goal of being fit and healthy, now I can stop!”
I was reminded of this last week, when I started running again. I ran two days before I gave birth so it had been just over seven weeks since my last run. I started with five minutes running at about an 11:30 min/mile pace, walked, then seven minutes, hitting that one magic mile.
I remember my first run back after having a baby, my first son, how excited I was to run one mile (and without peeing myself). I remember my first half marathon back four months later, then my first marathon back just over a year later. All were victories and a reminder of what my body can do when I show up, put in the work, and take care of it.
But back to this time around. By my third run back at it, later that same week I started back up again, I improved to 2.1 miles – without stopping to walk – at a 10:20 pace. And I felt great about it.
Making progress, feeling proud
Last year at this time I was wrapping up my season of half marathon pacing, running a comfortable 8:00 min/mile pace, and priming for marathon training. And I felt great about where I was.
Celebrate Where You’re At, Right Now
Those two running scenarios are vastly different. Yet, what they have in common is I felt great about them. They’re reflective of me showing up, putting in the work, and taking care of myself – and being at my best.
It’s a good reminder to celebrate where you’re at, right now. Try not to get caught up in comparing yourself to others, or even your past self – though a little healthy competitiveness is great to keep pushing!
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you can run a 9:00 min/mile, squat your bodyweight, or finish a 15-minute walk around the neighborhood. What matters is showing up, putting in the work, and taking care of yourself.
Never forget to take the time to appreciate your health and celebrate what your body can do. Mine made two healthy humans and can still get out there and pound the pavement – I’m feeling great about that.
Have you had a scenario like mine where your fitness level has changed but the way you feel hasn’t?
The comments are all yours so please share your thoughts.
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