Life is Short: Run Amuck A Little

I will never be able to afford to travel outside the U.S. I will never be able to run a marathon. I will never be able to write a novel. I will never find someone that will love me for me. How many times have you been stopped yourself from achieving a dream because you told yourself you couldn’t do it? 

One of my goals this year was to run a 5k, but the thought of running 3.1 miles straight made me want to vomit. Yes, I hate running, but I wanted to prove that I was capable of using mind over matter. I figured that having obstacles break up the run would make it less strenuous on my mind, I didn’t factor the increased toll it would take on my body. I asked my friend Whitney to join me and after researching several runs we decided on Run Amuck, hosted by the Marine Marathon Association. It was 4 miles long and had 20+ obstacles, complete with three mud pits. 

I’ll admit I struggled most of the run, because I was pushing my body to do what I had previously told it, it couldn’t do.The last half mile or so of the run, Whitney looked at me and declared we were not going to stop running until we got to the end of the race, and I was not allowed to give up. I did not want to let her down, so I told myself, “If I can make it this far, I can push myself a little more”.  Our jogging became a rhythm, and all of a sudden running felt easy. It felt liberating and I started smiling. I couldn’t believe I was running like a runner, after already jogging and walking three miles and going through 20+ obstacles. I thought I was exhausted, but here I was pushing through the hardest obstacles, and ended up proving I was stronger than I had once believed. 

The first few miles is always the most difficult; like, pressing pause midway through your binge of season three of Stranger Things to get up and go to the gym. Or refusing Chick-fil-A when someone offers to bring you some on your duty day. Or putting down the invigorating romance novel to read up on the latest trends in public affairs, or even to stop facebook scrolling to write another blog post. Creating a habit is hard. Breaking a habit is even harder. So, how do we make it through the first couple miles? Here’s what has helped me move along in my journey:

1. Know your why! – Why are you doing what you are doing? Why create it? Why continue to work out? Your why has to be big. It has to help you get over those obstacles and motivate you to keep moving forward.

   • My Why– I choose to write to share my feelings and life story in order to help someone get through their own obstacles. Writing releases negative pent up emotions for me and allows me to channel them into something greater-advice, a story, or a poem. Every time someone reaches out to tell me that they read my blog, my insides fill up with pride and joy, an indescribable feeling that fuels me for days afterwards and motivates me to keep writing.

   • What is your why?

2. Make a schedule – Schedule out time in your day for whatever your goal is and make it a nonnegotiable item. Start small. Take 30 minutes three times a week, and increase it as you go. If you remember your why, and truly love what you are doing that 30 minutes will turn into an hour and soon enough, you’ll look forward to and it’ll become natural.

   • My Schedule – My work day changes day to day, so I don’t do set times, I do a play-by-play. I get home from work, do a work out, shower, and then sit down to write. I’m not constantly working on my blog, but I am constantly writing. I have a writing prompt book, I write poems (they mostly don’t make sense, so I’ll keep those to myself), or I write down my feelings- past or current.

   • What are you going to schedule this week?

3. Get a support system – We are relational beings. We are not meant to do life alone. When life gets tough and we fall in the mud pit, or slip on the a-frame, we need someone there to pull us up and put us back on our feet. They are the ones to say “Why do we fall? So, we can learn to pick ourselves up”, quoting Thomas Wayne and reminding us to move forward.

   • My support system – I would not have finished that run if it weren’t for Whitney running next to me motivating me. I would not have started this blog if it weren’t for Kirsten inspiring me to be creative. I would not have become the feminist I am today if it were not for Kat encouraging me to be educated. I would not be the inclusive loving person I am today if it weren’t for Jenna challenging my beliefs. I would not be the friend I am today if it were not for Danielle opening my eyes to a different point of view. I wouldn’t be the woman I am today, if it weren’t for Alissa being my conscientious guide. Finally, I wouldn’t be anything without the unconditional love and support of Sam, Marisa, and my mom and dad, and the rest of my extended family.

   • Who is included in your support system?

What are you going to pursue? What dream are you going to chase down? Changing who you are, what your goals are, and what you aspire to be is okay. In fact, it’s more than okay. We are constantly changing and evolving as we go. Dare to dream. Dare to live on the wild side. Dare to run amuck.  

XOXO, 

KCB