“Why did I sign up for the 10K when I haven’t run a race in nearly fifteen years? Why didn’t I just do the 5K?” I grumbled to myself.

I got the answer when I started my long run, and Aretha Franklin’s unmistakable voice began to blast over my headphones.

People, let me tell you, I work hard every day
I get up out of bed, I put on my clothes
‘Cause I’ve got bills to pay
Now it ain’t easy but I don’t need no help
I’ve got a strong will to survive
I’ve got a deeper love, deeper love
Deeper love inside and I call it
Pridе (A deeper love)

 

I’m running a 10K because of a Deeper Love for myself and my life. For the last few years, I felt as if I had been wandering in the wilderness, just going through the motions of life.  This year, as I have begun to reinvent myself and pivot my entire life, I have started to reflect on what I used to do that made me feel alive and vibrant. Running races was something that gave me a goal to shoot for, and race day was fun.

I chose the 10K because it was the more challenging option, and it would require me to invest time and effort in training for it. I am stacking wins to continue building momentum and moving forward.  We build confidence by setting goals and following through on them. No matter how big or small, we always feel better about ourselves once we accomplish something challenging.

I completed the entire 6.2 Miles today.

During my shorter runs this week, they seemed more tolerable. (I will NOT say easier).  Today went better than last week.  I was able to complete the entire 6.2 miles, although I was still slow. I ran for one and a half minutes and walked for one minute.  I am getting closer to my goal of running for two minutes and walking for one. The fact that I was able to finish the entire run was already way better than last week.

Getting Older

As I grow older, sometimes I think my best days are behind me. I will never feel alive, vibrant, euphoric, or ecstatic again because those days have passed me by.  Every day is the same, and there are no new adventures on the horizon.  This isn’t true, of course, and I am taking action to build the momentum for the next adventure. Setting and accomplishing this goal of running a 10K adds fuel to this fire.

If you’re going to San Francisco….

When I taught Cycle classes, we loved the Global DeeJays song “San Francisco Dreaming.”  I had to look on YouTube for the exact mix I used, but at the end of my run, I listened to the mix I have on my playlist, and it brought back some great memories of pushing through in our cycle classes at the end. Recently, I’ve started running into people who used to take the class, and we’ve been reminiscing about how much fun it was and how great it would be to do it again. I wish more people could experience all the fun and great times we had back in the day! It’s sad when a gym is dull, low-energy, lifeless, and empty. I remember the days when gyms were like nightclubs full of energy, life, and packed with people!  We will get back there.

Going back down memory lane with my playlist was enjoyable and gave me an extra boost of motivation to finish the run strong.  After my stint in the pits over the last few years, it has been great to reconnect with some of my past lives again. I’m listening to songs I’d forgotten about and haven’t heard in years.  It has been great!

Next week, my goal is to complete the run faster than this week.

 

For Old Time’s Sake