Mini-Vacation Sanctuary

When I run, I find inner freedom and peace. I know how cliche that sounds, but it's cliche because it's true. Right now, for example, I'm sitting on my bed with my laptop. I have a graduate class final presentation to give tomorrow night, and I'm beyond worked up about it. I've been sitting here all morning with the slides running on my laptop while I try to talk along with them. However, I keep stumbling over the most basic words, thoughts and ideas and now I'm sitting here way too worked up to continue properly functioning. The solution? I'm going to go chug some water and go for a run. Going for a run allows me the freedom to escape from graduate presentations and work stresses and life puzzlers. It allows me to tune in to my music, and tune out the rest. Taking a mini-vacation from your daily routine and stresses is essential to being healthy. I know if I continue to sit here for the next few hours without taking a mental, and physical, break, I'm going to fall apart. Knowing when enough is enough is important. Sometimes the best studying we can do is when we close the book. And sometimes the best therapy doesn't exist in thinking, it exists in putting on your sneakers and hitting the pavement. So go take a mini-vacation from yourself, even if only for 30 minutes. Hey, at least it's cheap :)

Worth it

Let's face it. New England weather is pretty terrible. November hits with snow, which lasts until at least March. And then comes the torrential rain and of course all of the mud. Finally in June, when the rain stops falling, it's too hot to run outside during the day. By the time it starts to cool down, we have to start preparing for snow again. It's almost like living in New England is an excuse to put your feet up, sans running shoes. Why would anyone in their right mind actually go outside and run if they live in the North East? Runner's have to be crazy. Which is the entire point. Runners are crazy! You see them jogging at 6:30 in the morning, 6:30 at night and everywhere in between. I'm sure you find yourself saying, "Those people are insane!" Yes, true. They are. We are. I know. I'm one of those insane people you see running around the streets of Boston at 6:30 in the morning while most people get to delight in sipping coffee. Or, if they're truly lucky, they're still sleeping. The point is, running in general is crazy. But the natural high it gives you for the entire day makes it worth it. The way you feel about yourself for the rest of your life makes it worth it. I know what it's like to choose between sleep and going outside in 30 degree weather for a run. I know which one I'd like to choose every time (sleep). But the point is, I don't. I choose running. And when I come home from that super early morning jog and jump into the shower, it's worth it.

Boston?

As stated numerous times, I'm an excuse maker. I love them and I feed off of them. However, if I ever plan on actually running a marathon, this needs to change, asap. This morning, one of my coworkers and I were talking about running and he mentioned he really wants to run the Boston Marathon this April. I agreed that it'd be an incredible experience, and he said that we should both run it. Immediately, I started saying "oh but I don't have enough time to train" and "don't you have to qualify?" and "well...maybe...." The "well, maybe" attitude isn't going to get me 26.2 miles, though. Why is it that I want so badly to run a marathon and yet am my own biggest naysayer? Not okay. And it's not like I don't like running! I went for a run this morning, even, and it was great. So, no more. And yes, I know I say that a lot. Boston may be a bit of a long-shot, but it also could be within my reach. It's time to stop the negative excuses and bring on the positive! Yes, I do have to qualify, but that's okay. It's 5 months away, I have time to train. So yeah, maybe I will run Boston this year. I know my body's capable of doing it, I just need to get my head in the game, too. Here we go, learning to be head over heels in love with Boston.

“If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.”

I have to admit I've been slacking a bit lately in the running department. Maybe it's the cold weather or the shorter days, but for some reason I've been having a very hard time finding motivation lately. As I said earlier, I'm an excuse-pro. But the no-can-do attitude has to go if I ever expect to accomplish anything. For example, I really want to run a marathon. And, not just any marathon: One day I will run the NYC Marathon. But, if I keep staying in bed for an extra hour instead of getting up and going for a run, I'll never run that race. It's incredibly important to set goals for yourself, but it's even more important to set goals that you can actually achieve in the present moment. For example, my end goal is to run a marathon. By no means could I go out and run 26 miles right now, but I can go out and run 3. Now, if I tell myself to go for a 3 mile run today (which I did this morning), and a 3 mile run 4 times in the next 7 days, then next week I can go for a 5 mile run. After that 7, then 9, then 11...you see where this is going. If you push yourself within your current limits, soon those limits start to expand and your goal becomes easier to reach. So, if you put in the proper prep work and training, you'll really be able to stand one day on that start line and know that not only do you belong there, you are going to cross that finish line smiling.

Goodbye self doubt, Hello New York!!

Yesterday I watched one of my best friends, Katie, run the NYC marathon. It was a race we've both always dreamed of running, and I cannot express how incredibly proud of her I am. I was standing on the sidelines, moved to tears (again) watching all of the 40,000+ runners. Every single person out there was accomplishing a goal most people never even get close to starting. I was just so in awe of everyone. Katie finished the race 1/2 hour before she thought she was going to! Next year, I'm running it with her. It just goes to show, when you really put your mind to something, you CAN do anything.

Katie - I am so proud of you. You are such an amazing role model to us all. Goodbye self doubt and HELLO NEW YORK!!!!!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger

That saying was the motto of the Tufts 10K road race this morning. I did not run it this year - although there's no way I'm not running it next year - but instead I got to stand and cheer on my step mom, Joan Benoit, Olympic athletes and 8,000 female runners. I got all teary-eyed at the start of the race watching all of these amazing women run past me. There were the Olympic athletes and world-class runners, there were the running club teams, there were women out there running their first ever road race and there was even a little girl with downs syndrome running. I was in awe of every single runner out there this morning and was literally kicking myself for not running it, too.

I got home from watching the race and headed out the door again, on a run. I ran way faster than I should have; the images of all the amazing women crossing the finish line made me kick up my pace a little too much. But the motto is true: Start strong, finish stronger. If that little girl with downs syndrome can go out and run 6 miles, there is no way that we can't do that as well. Congratulations to all the runners this morning; you truly all are an inspiration.

Excusing the Positive

Finding motivation to go for a run is an extremely difficult and painful process, at least for me. I am quite the procrastinator and can think of award-winning excuses for reasons not to do things. I don't know why I do this with running; I love how I feel about myself while running and after running, it's the before-the-run-excuses that really get to me. For instance, today, my excuse was, "by the time I get out of work today and commute all the way home, it will be dark, and who feels safe running in the city in the dark?" So, instead of letting my nay-saying head get to me, I skipped my hour lunch break at work and left an hour early instead. This way, I was able to get home before the sun went down and I wouldn't be able to excuse my way out of running.

The trick is to know yourself and to accept that self. I understand that I make excuses, but there are ways of channeling the negatives into positives. For example, instead of always creating negative excuses, I start to think up positive excuses. One of my favorite tricks: download a new running playlist with songs you're dying to listen to and don't let yourself listen to it until you go running. You'll be tripping over your feet on your race out the door. Think of other positive excuses for yourself. Do you really want to go shopping? Go running and watch as your body melts into a super fabulous new you. You'll be so excited to leave the dressing room and go twirl around the streets. Accentuating the positive in your life will not only get your feet out the door and your heart pumping, it will also lead to a more positive outlook in your day-to-day life.

I invite you to challenge yourself to think positively. Excuses sure are fun to make up, but they sure can hold you back. Instead, politely excuse yourself from the negative excuses and bring on the positive. You'll find that not only are postive excuses more fun to think up, they'll also help spark that confidence we all want and need.