Time for Commitment

 (here)

About 2 years ago a great friend of mine convinced me to go running with her mom & their running group.  I will be 100% honest - I have never thought of myself as a "runner" in any sense of the word.  I always thought of myself as a short, round (face & body) Norwegian who was built for cold winters and big laughs; not athletically geared activities.  But this group brought me under their wing and have taught me a lot about running.  Here's a couple lessons I've learned from this all female group:

1. If you need an extra walk break - take it!
                 When you feel like you're pushing too hard - to the point of pure exhaustion and deflation, slow down! You aren't running anyone else into the ground but yourself!  So take that extra minute and slow your breathing, slow your thoughts.
2.  Miles are miles - no matter how you get it done
                  This has been one of the hardest things for me to come to  terms with.  I guess I always thought that I had to run full speed the whole time! Because when it came down to it, I had to win!  When in reality, the fact that I am up, being active & outside is significant.  Being active & moving is just the beginning!
3.  Always finish together - even if that means you have to double back
                   No matter what you always stick together.  When you're feeling good & pulling ahead of the pack, be sure to keep an eye on the people who you started with.  They may not be feeling so great that day, and so you double back and stick together so that everyone can finish together!  The people that you start the journey with are the ones you should finish it with.

And so I am committing myself to my running "family" - they are a wonderful group of women who I greatly admire.  Each is very different, and brings very different skills to the group.  But when even one person is missing you can feel the impact immediately. 
Not only do I love how I feel physically after my runs -- I love how I feel emotionally.  There's a lot of laughter that is shared, wisdom about life & running, and fun to boot!  And on top of that I've got the Nike Women's Half Marathon in mid-October to stay ready for! :)

So off I go to get changed & ready for night one of my re-newed commitment!
<3