I joined a new gym yesterday. I tend to have love/hate relationships with the gym. I love the environment--slamming weights, huffing runners, and even the snooty exercise classes. I hate paying for it, thinking I have enough "stuff" at home to run my own gym. Yesterday I decided to go ahead and get a new membership because it will get me out of the house and the unpredictable rain has really hampered my running lately.
So I stopped in today for my short run training. You know how I feel about running. I love the pounding feet and the solitude of being wrapped up in my own head. In fact, I often workout without music because the silent repetitiveness is soothing for me and helps me think through my life in really strange ways. Like, I've been working on my conversational Spanish lately, and I spent the entire time on the treadmill talking to myself in Spanish.
Today I hopped on the treadmill with the goal of completing 1.5 miles. I'm new to this and trying to work up to what I hope will one day be a 13 mile run. I had no expectations today except to finish the distance. Guess what? I did the entire 1.5 miles alternating between 2 minutes of walking at 3 mph and 1 minute of running at 5 mph. By the time I was finished my face was the color of raspberries, my hair was soaked, and I had sweat covering every inch of my body.
I sat in the car and relished the feeling of accomplishment. Of blood pulsating through my veins. Of my heart pounding in my chest. Of endorphins flushing out all the frustration of my day. There was no doubt in my mind that I have found a special place where I can beat out the crap in my head and walk away feeling renewed. I knew today more than ever before just how much I love running and how much I've missed this feeling.
I can't wait for tomorrow when I hit the weights.
So I stopped in today for my short run training. You know how I feel about running. I love the pounding feet and the solitude of being wrapped up in my own head. In fact, I often workout without music because the silent repetitiveness is soothing for me and helps me think through my life in really strange ways. Like, I've been working on my conversational Spanish lately, and I spent the entire time on the treadmill talking to myself in Spanish.
Today I hopped on the treadmill with the goal of completing 1.5 miles. I'm new to this and trying to work up to what I hope will one day be a 13 mile run. I had no expectations today except to finish the distance. Guess what? I did the entire 1.5 miles alternating between 2 minutes of walking at 3 mph and 1 minute of running at 5 mph. By the time I was finished my face was the color of raspberries, my hair was soaked, and I had sweat covering every inch of my body.
I sat in the car and relished the feeling of accomplishment. Of blood pulsating through my veins. Of my heart pounding in my chest. Of endorphins flushing out all the frustration of my day. There was no doubt in my mind that I have found a special place where I can beat out the crap in my head and walk away feeling renewed. I knew today more than ever before just how much I love running and how much I've missed this feeling.
I can't wait for tomorrow when I hit the weights.
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