I knew that I would!
So, I am not a long distance runner, never have been and probably never will be. My height is no help coming in at a raging 5’3″ and I have more curves than the Switzerland mountains. When I was younger in high school and even middle school, I was the short distance runner. I could slow jog for a good while, but I could have amazing bursts of speed which benefited me in all of the sports I played. I was one of the fastest on the team when it came to sprints because of the amount of muscle I had pushing me forward. Anyway–not long distance.
But I have long distance goals. On my bucket list I have the goal to run in a 5k. Not just participate but push myself to the very best. My goal is to do it without stopping, and without walking. I know this sounds weird but for some reason sometimes it’s like I mentally like giving up. There are moments when I’m on the treadmill and I’ll give up at .99 miles, or will go on the elliptical for 30 minutes and be done at 28. I don’t know why but that’s how my messed up mentality is. But today was a significant day for me. It sounds stupid but it’s true. I haven’t worked out hard in a long time. (I went on the elliptical yesterday and couldn’t believe how out of shape I was!). So I decided to call on my work out buddy and old roomie Anna. And we made a pact. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 9am we would run. Well today was the first day and guess what guys. I made it. I finished. I didn’t give up. I thank Anna for that considering there was a time at the 2.25 mile mark where she grabbed my sleeve and said “No Hil, it’s all down hill from here!” It literally was the best. And I never gave up or walked the rest of the way home, I finished strong.
Like I said, this sounds childish, but it meant a lot to me to push myself to the finish when I so frequently don’t see the finish. I felt so good and accomplished afterwards, you’d think I ran a marathon. But it was my own little marathon, and I finished.
The poem of the day to end this blog post is called “Dare to Be” By Steve Maraboli:
Dare to Be
When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.
When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.
When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.
When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.
When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.
When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.
When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going.
When times are tough, dare to be tougher.
When love hurts you, dare to love again.
When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.
When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.
When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.
When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.
When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.
When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best.
Dare to be the best you can –
At all times, Dare to be!
The Milwaukee Minnesota Girl 