I Quit Running!

Today, I think that would be an easy option……. To just quit running!
I have blisters on my feet, a strained hamstring, I am tired, my runs are getting longer and its getting colder in the mornings!

It’s only 6 weeks till I am supposed to get up at the crack of dawn, put on my running shoes and run 21.1 k’s with 5000 other people!

To be honest, I am SO nervous! Now, I’m not exactly sure what I am so nervous about. I’m not sure if it’s the fact I still don’t think I can run that far. Maybe it’s that I don’t want to come last. Or maybe it’s a huge fear of failure in the eyes of others!

Actually, I think it is a combination of all the above, but I am telling myself this week “So what?”

• So what if I don’t actually run the entire way?
• So what if I come last?
• So what if I don’t actually finish?

I am learning that it isn’t always about the destination, but it is more about the journey!

Sure, it’s going to be amazing when I cross that finish line, but what about all the milestones and goals I have hit along the way:

Running 3 personal bests in one week.
Running more km’s in a week and month than I ever thought possible.
Getting up at 5.30 in the dark and the rain and running for 1 and a half hours.
Sticking to a running plan for 8 weeks.
Being disciplined and running 5 days a week.
Battling the voices in my head telling me I can’t…… And winning!

Or the personal benefits:

Spending more time with Phil (yes, he keeps me company on most runs)
Being fitter than I have ever been.
Buying a smaller pair of jeans.
Feeling happier and healthier.
Having more energy.

Yip, the finish line will be amazing, but actually today I stand amazed at what I have achieved so far. For a 40 something-year-old chick who honestly couldn’t even run for 3 minutes when I started 18 months ago, I think I am doing pretty good!

So actually, I am not quitting running this week! As much as I want to some day, it’s not an option for me! In fact, I am running further and faster than I ever have and fighting off the voices in my head telling me I can’t do it. I choose not to take the easy option and just quit, but to keep fighting for the goal that lies in front of me, a goal which I know I will hit. It will be well earned and deserved and I’m sure the Big Mac at the end of the race will never have tasted so good!