One Run at a Time...

Last night I did my first hill run. I used mapmyrun.com to map a solid run with a few hills, separated by flat stretches. I set out for my run with the intent of meeting Paul at the gym, working out, and riding back with him. Starting out everything went great, even my first hill was not so bad. Then I hit a stretch of flat ground with absolutely no shade for about a mile! As the hot summer sun beat down on my neck I was incredibly tempted to text Paul and give in… I even started walking instead of running. As I walked with my thoughts I realized walking and quitting are not options! I told myself just start running! I pushed through and ran the rest of the way, even after I realized I had passed the gym and had to backtrack a street! When I finally walked in to the crisp cold gym I felt wonderful, and instead of thinking of my next run I just allowed myself to be in that moment, proud of that one specific run. So that is how I will do it now, one run at a time, one step at a time. It really is true that endurance running is about your mentality more than anything else.

I woke up a bit stiff today, and I was lucky enough to go for a massage using a gift certificate from my good friend Clara! It was a full body relaxation massage, and I could literally feel the tension and doubts being released from my body as the girl worked. I glimpsed myself in the mirror as I redressed and realized I have developed a newfound sense of self. In the past my body has always let me down. I have always felt like my body is a traitor, and that my mind is trapped in this diseased vessel. With running I have developed more respect for what I am capable of, and have found a way to transcend those boundaries I had always assumed were impenetrable. I started this journey with the intent of raising funds for NF2 and running the Long Beach half-marathon, now I realize this is only the beginning…