I find it ironic that even though I've been a runner for almost 20 years, I only recently have started to"enjoy" it. I ran track and field as a kid and all throughout my teen years. The events I'd run were always the 200, 400 and 800. Not going to lie; I was pretty damn fast. For a minute there I had dreams of one day going to the Olympics... don't laugh. But I remember I never really "loved' the sport. I just did it because my family was so proud of me when I would win and it was actually the only thing I was good at. I ran because I had the need to be the best and coming in first at the end of the race was my validation. But, as I grew older in the sport I realized how selfish my way of thinking was. Later in my Senior year of High school I had a couple of team mates that suffered bad injuries and they were never the same. Not only could they not run anymore, but they couldn't be as active again in their day to day lives either. The thought of being young with your body giving out on you for a sport you didn't have that much interest in anymore scared me immensely! I only liked the part when I'd win, (it's okay to laugh at that last statement). After I came to grips with the fact that I couldn't continue on with the sport that I felt gave me a sense of identity, I had to dig a little deeper inside and find what else I was capable of.
Obviously, years later I found my niche. I found my calling in fashion and never regretted my decision to start a new path. It wasn't until after I had my daughter, Millie, that I started back up with running. Selfishly, I needed to lose the weight I gained while I was pregnant. I knew my body well enough to know that running would be the easiest way to shed the pounds. I would load Millie up in her stroller and go for a 2 mile run about three times a week. Before I knew it, Millie and I were doing 4miles, five times a week. It actually got to the point to where I NEEDED to run! About 3 months back into my running groove, it hit me: "I'm in love with running". How the hell did that happen? I mostly think it's because it's my time to think. I just listen to my music and think about all of the things I'm so grateful and happy about. That, and the fact that Millie loves it when I go fast. So that pushes me for sure. How funny is it that now I run fast for my daughter's amusement and not for my own validation? Full circle or what!?
For the outfit choice in this post, I'm not going to go into too much detail because this post is simply dedicated to the sport that taught me how to push through pain, how to keep focus and that you're not done with the race until you've crossed the finish line. And most importantly, NEVER GIVE UP!
Until next time,
Xoxo
Top:F21
Sports bra: F21
Shorts: Fila
Shoes: Nike Flynet 4.0
