October Goal- SMASHED

I read this quote the other day and really inspired me and I hope it inspires you all too!

 “If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter is today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.”

Well if that doesn’t sum up my running experience I don’t know what does!

The other day, when I got back from my second trip to Miami, FL, I decided to utilize my Friday afternoon off to run. So I got in my cute little Murano and I headed down the Valley so I could enjoy the fresh air and a nice trail to run on.  As some of you may know I am not a HUGE fan of trails that you have to run so far one way and then just run back- I don’t like the backtrack. But on this particular day I was just feeling like the same old boring neighborhood run wouldn’t cut it so I decided to trail it.

I dropped my keys off to Tim at his office and parked my car then. With my tennis shoes laced up- I just took off.  7 miles later I was done.

Yes you read that right. I ran for 7 miles which was my October goal- and it only took me a little over an hour. I’m not sure if it was the nice cool fresh air or if it was just the fact that mentally I needed that run but I know my breathing stayed steady and my head stayed out of the game the entire time. Yes, unlike soccer where I had to have my head in the game the entire time or a ball would smack me in the face, running I have made the choice to take my head out of it . If I stand there and run run run and think think think about all of the running I am doing I literally drive myself crazy. That is when my breathing gets messed up and I think about how tired my legs are going to be or hell how tired they already are in some cases. It’s unlike any other “sport” I’ve done in the past but I find the less mental effort I put into it, the better off I am.

Instead I reflected back on work and life. I have been busting my butt at work  and have had a ton of stuff to do. I have been given the opportunity to work closely with a lot of new people and it has truly been a wonderful experience. So I thought about how I felt proud of myself… I felt accomplished. I remember the first time I felt this way at Rubbermaid- my name was next to the #1 slot on our sales tracker. This time, my name wasn’t on a piece of paper that said I was number one but instead it was just inside my head that I knew I was doing what was asked of me and I felt like I was doing a fine job. Interesting how our concept of success evolves around time isn’t it?

So the October goal is DONE! I am a little nervous about November and December because the rain has already been slowing me down and the snow is on it’s way. Any suggestions on things to do in the winter to stay in shape and to keep enjoying running? I don’t belong to a gym or anything so creative solutions are what I am looking for! Let me know!