Running Down A Dream

As a former athlete, I used to love working out in all forms. I say used to, because after the birth of my first child, my physical activity was pretty much limited to lifting small children up and down, and hauling endless loads of laundry up and down stairs.

Suffice to say, it’s been a LONG time since I’ve had a consistent exercise routine.

Oh, I’ve tried. There were times through the years that I’d get motivated, and start either running, or using our obscure weight set in the basement. I bought a treadmill years ago, and though there were stops and starts regarding that, the treadmill now serves a far greater purpose for our family, as seen below:

While my desire to be physically fit has never left me, the desire to do the things I need to do to BE physically fit just wasn’t there. If it came down to taking a jog or.. just not, I opted to… just not.

And since I’ve created my blog, “Six Pack Mom”, many people have mistakenly assumed that I’m a fitness mom, here to inspire my fellow women to stay balanced, get fit, and live life in great shape.

 Uhhh… naw.

The closest I’ve managed to come to trying to get back into running was downloading the 5K Runner app onto my iPhone, in the hopes that I’d use it to start gradually. And I did… for about two weeks. Then life got busy, and I got tired, and that was that.

I wouldn’t think about it, but then I’d get a random guilt-trip message like THIS:

It’s like my phone doesn’t even know me.

Because I’m naturally thin, I can occasionally deceive myself into thinking I’m in better shape than I actually am. This illusion was shattered, however, when I tried kicking a soccer ball around in the yard with my son. After about three minutes, I was tirrrred.

So this weekend, it finally happened.

I decided to go for a jog.

The family was out, the sun was shining, and my music playlist was set. I slipped on my running clothes and sneakers, and began stretching muscles I forgot I had.

(And the forgotten muscles let me know they’d rather be left forgotten.)

I started off easily, figuring I’d mostly walk and see how much jogging I could manage.

You know there’s certain music that just gets your blood pumping? Well, my music had my blood pumping, and my legs started moving faster, because walking was just too slow.

And I was OFFFF!

I blame Nine Inch Nails. Their song “Ruiner” has a fantastic beat, perfect for running at a ferocious pace.

But “Ruiner” ruined me. I was tearing down the street, feeling good…

… for about half a block.

Here’s the issue: my lungs were on FIRE. There was a searing pain in my chest.

When you’re 20 and get that pain in your chest after running, you know you’re just out of shape. When you’re 40 and get that pain in your chest after running, you’re DYING.

(But it’s ok- I anticipated that it would be challenging. And just in case, I let me faithful Twitter friends know the deal.)

So I didn’t get very far. And I didn’t go very fast.

BUT… I did go.

And the next day, my legs hurt more than I thought humanly possible.

BUT… the pain won’t last.

And I thought I might be too old to get back into the shape I aspire to..

BUT… I realized that’s the point. It’s not about how old you are, or how fast you go, or how long it takes to back into the swing of things.

The point: Keep pushing. Even if it’s hard. Even if you don’t feel like it. Even if you feel fat, or old, or tired, or sore, or busy, or overwhelmed.

Need some inspiration? Two words: IDA KEELING

Click her name, & check her story out; it’s worth it.

 

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