Here to encourage you on your own bold pursuit of intentional living as I live out my own. I’m passionate about running, spending time doing what I love and cheering others on to approach running with joy.
Since I started tentatively training (now it’s official!) for the D.C. Marine Corps Marathon in July, I’ve gotten back into a consistent schedule of running four times a week. I’d taken off months of running and honestly, I forgot how much I enjoyed moving like that. I love my mornings (duh) and getting back into early morning workouts put a lot of spark back in me I didn’t realize had been lost in the first place.There’s a lot you have to sacrifice when you sign up for a marathon. But, there’s so much more you’ll gain than just a medal and bragging rights. I’m not saying you can’t learn these just by running, but it took that push of a marathon to get me committed first, and then I saw the transformation start to happen. See below for 5 ways running will change your life and what you’ll gain:
Not only do you have to fit the actual runs in, but you also have to learn when to say no to other invites, too. Managing your time becomes an art and a science because you’ll realize certain things aren’t as important as they once were and other things now are. For instance, I now prioritize meal prep more than I EVER have in my entire life.
You’ll learn to have extreme patience with yourself. Many runs will not go as you imagined them going, and that is ok. You’ll progress one week and then the next week you might fall way back. That’s just the name of the game and if you’re not patient with yourself and taking care of yourself, then it’s going to be a miserable journey you’re on.
Runners are extremely disciplined. They wake up at the butt crack of dawn to run (no really, we do), say no to social events at night in order to prioritize sleep, and pass on sweets (eh, sometimes) in order to fuel properly. It takes a lot to be a dedicated runner and I admire all the other runners I see out there during the week. Becoming a runner has definitely strengthened my discipline and now it’s not as hard to say no to others or stay committed to other tasks, and I credit a lot of that to what I’ve gained from running.
A no-brainer, but it’s amazing what running can do for you, and I mean more than just physically. Yeah, running is great to shed pounds and get toned, but it is SO good for you mentally. It really helps you to clear your mind and realize how much you can do if you set your mind to it. The more you run, the more you will see it start to impact the other decisions you make too, such as what you put into your body and how you treat it throughout the day.
When you hit twenty miles during a race, there’s nothing but extreme focus. You’re so excited to get that two in the front, but there are SO many more obstacles to be faced. Your head has to be so in the game to finish strong, and same goes for completing training runs efficiently, too.Shop my outfit here (not the headphones I've been using because I'm not a fan of these new ones, but these are my old ones that I love!):[show_shopthepost_widget id="3268473"]
