Stepping outside the comfort zone is the price I pay to find out how good I can be. If I planned on backing off every time running got difficult I would hang up my shoes and take up knitting.
– Desiree Davila
This quote sums up what I’ve discovered in myself through running. I started with small goals “put one foot in front of the other and get over this hill”, “keep it up to the next cross street”, or “keep it up to the top of hill”. Almost every time I kept going after that impromptu goal. Now I think “I hope I can make it through this intersection without stopping”.
Every time I think well that’s not possible: I’ve adjusted my goals and beat it. I’ve placed 2nd in my Age Group in two 5k races! I’ve run 2 half marathons: 1) 1:39:30 (avg. 7:30/mi) 2) 1:34:18 (avg. 7:11/mi). Not every run is a winner, but the majority I enjoy myself.
Running forces me to find my inner strength, and launches me beyond the things I said weren’t possible.
I hope this helps you tap into your inner strength. It’s there: you just have to find what gets you in touch with it. It might not be running. But I promise that the longer you dig deep and “push” yourself in anything, the better you’ll feel at the end. That little victory is yours. It lasts for several hours after said workout. It doesn’t matter whether you tell anyone or not: That’s up to you. Stop reading this and go challenge yourself.