Beastmode

What can I say? I'm a slow starter. I started out with a few goals and it only took me 2 weeks to put them in play! Slooooooow starter I am.

But I did it. I started last night. I went running for the first time in a long time. I have a love hate relationship with running. I love the feeling I get after a good run. I sometimes hate it when I start to hit that mental wall. If you've ever done any sort of tough workout you've inevitably hit a wall where you feel like you can't go any farther, any faster.

Last night I hit that wall and pushed through it.

I had inspiring music in my ears, a cool clear night, and determination with me last night. I started out at a normal pace (for me) but as I got going I picked up the pace. I keep track of my runs with an app that tells me my pace/distance/time and gives me audible cues as I'm running. As I was running my app told me that my pace had increased. Imagine that? I was running faster!

Granted it wasn't my best pace ever but I haven't run in a good year or more. I used to run 3 nights a week. I even did three 5k races a few years back. That was probably the height of my fitness in recent years. I was in good shape then.

Last night reminded me how much I love running. Forget the fitness aspect of it, that's self explanatory. I loved a few things about my run last night:

• Sense of accomplishment - I freaking did it!
• Endorphins - The after glow of a good run is makes you feel amazing, like a world beater.
• Mental cleansing - Running allows me to do some housekeeping in my head, it clears my thoughts.

The last benefit of last night's run was that I set a good example.  I hammer into my kids the idea of going hard and doing your best at all times. It's never about winning or losing or talent even, it's about outworking everyone else. How can I say it and not do it myself? I showed my kids that even when it feels like you can't do it, you still can. You just have to dig deep and find that internal strength to push forward. It may be small to some people but that short run last night unearthed the champion in me. It reminds me of a quote I once read,

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'"

- Muhammed Ali

Today I feel like a champion.