I vividly remember the moment about 10 (maybe 12) summers ago. My Dad said, "Come on Erin, lets go for a run. You need to build up some endurance before volleyball season starts." My response..."you are kidding right?" Running wasn't my thing. But, since I knew he was right, I put on my sneakers and we went for a run together. A father/daughter run. What a nice bonding experience right?? Well, we got about half way around the block and I was in tears and complaining how I hate running and I can't do it...bla bla bla, excuse excuse excuse...and so, on he went and I walked home. We look back now and we laugh about that. Seriously...we are talking about 1/4 mile. Haha.
Fast forward to about 5 years ago. My husbands parents moved into a new house, in a new neighborhood, which is very hilly, and includes a monster hill! (Seriously, it's huge!) It climbs up the street right behind their house towards the other phase of the development. Of course, my husband (this is before he was my husband) would say "lets run." So, we would get ready and run, and of course, I would give up about a quarter of the way up that hill. The hill was so high I couldn't wrap my head around getting to the top so I would run a little of it and then stop to catch my breath and throw in the towel while he would proceed to the top. (In my defense, I made it farther than with my dad the few years before...I would make it around the block and to the hill, but would never make it up the hill.) I always would have a little bit of a guilty feeling after like I should have put in more effort but it didn't stop me from constantly not going up that hill. Thankfully, he still married me ;)
Fast forward to now and I am addicted to running. I am not lying. I literally think about it all the time. I would run every single day if I could. I run with the kids, without the kids, doesn't matter to me. Although, running without the kids is easier, running with the kids is a challenge. Pushing a double jogger (it weighs about 75 pounds with the kids in it) up and down hills for between 2-3 miles has got to burn extra calories for sure! Plus, my son gets so excited when we turn back onto our street. He always says "we did it!" and gives me a high five. So sweet...(although the first time he said that it was about 100 degrees out, felt like 150, and I did think to myself...seriously kid? "we" did it??) But, in all seriousness, I love that it is something he feels we accomplished together. I myself know that his weight only made it harder but I appreciate his enthusiasm :) So, either way it doesn't matter. No excuses from me now about running. I have even been saying to my husband how I want to go run in his parents
neighborhood and up that hill! I am up for the challenge!
What changed?? When I said the other day how I wanted to run through my in-laws neighborhood, I thought back and was trying to figure out what changed. When I evaluate the change and try to figure out the difference I know exactly what it is. It is all mental! There is no way I have more endurance immediately after having two children than I did when I was younger and playing sports. I hadn't worked out in 10 months, twice. The difference is, I had decided that I was going to get fit and lose weight and when Irun, instead of thinking about how I hate running, it isn't for me, it's too hot, I'm tired, excuse after excuse, I think about the end result. I think about being healthy. I think about my personal goals. If I want to stop I tell myself to JUST KEEP GOING!
Through these examples (and many more that I will not bore you with), I have realized that your mind dictates your actions. If you decide on something and commit because you WANT to and all of your thoughts are positive about it you CAN do it! YOU choose your path and your destination. You cannot count on someone else to hold you accountable. Hold yourself accountable. Excuses only hurt yourself so don't make them! In my first two stories, others were asking me to run with them so I was doing it for them because they asked. The difference is now I do it for myself! You need to start somewhere, so make the commitment and start! :) Good luck!
~Erin Leigh
Fast forward to about 5 years ago. My husbands parents moved into a new house, in a new neighborhood, which is very hilly, and includes a monster hill! (Seriously, it's huge!) It climbs up the street right behind their house towards the other phase of the development. Of course, my husband (this is before he was my husband) would say "lets run." So, we would get ready and run, and of course, I would give up about a quarter of the way up that hill. The hill was so high I couldn't wrap my head around getting to the top so I would run a little of it and then stop to catch my breath and throw in the towel while he would proceed to the top. (In my defense, I made it farther than with my dad the few years before...I would make it around the block and to the hill, but would never make it up the hill.) I always would have a little bit of a guilty feeling after like I should have put in more effort but it didn't stop me from constantly not going up that hill. Thankfully, he still married me ;)
Fast forward to now and I am addicted to running. I am not lying. I literally think about it all the time. I would run every single day if I could. I run with the kids, without the kids, doesn't matter to me. Although, running without the kids is easier, running with the kids is a challenge. Pushing a double jogger (it weighs about 75 pounds with the kids in it) up and down hills for between 2-3 miles has got to burn extra calories for sure! Plus, my son gets so excited when we turn back onto our street. He always says "we did it!" and gives me a high five. So sweet...(although the first time he said that it was about 100 degrees out, felt like 150, and I did think to myself...seriously kid? "we" did it??) But, in all seriousness, I love that it is something he feels we accomplished together. I myself know that his weight only made it harder but I appreciate his enthusiasm :) So, either way it doesn't matter. No excuses from me now about running. I have even been saying to my husband how I want to go run in his parents
neighborhood and up that hill! I am up for the challenge!
What changed?? When I said the other day how I wanted to run through my in-laws neighborhood, I thought back and was trying to figure out what changed. When I evaluate the change and try to figure out the difference I know exactly what it is. It is all mental! There is no way I have more endurance immediately after having two children than I did when I was younger and playing sports. I hadn't worked out in 10 months, twice. The difference is, I had decided that I was going to get fit and lose weight and when Irun, instead of thinking about how I hate running, it isn't for me, it's too hot, I'm tired, excuse after excuse, I think about the end result. I think about being healthy. I think about my personal goals. If I want to stop I tell myself to JUST KEEP GOING!
Through these examples (and many more that I will not bore you with), I have realized that your mind dictates your actions. If you decide on something and commit because you WANT to and all of your thoughts are positive about it you CAN do it! YOU choose your path and your destination. You cannot count on someone else to hold you accountable. Hold yourself accountable. Excuses only hurt yourself so don't make them! In my first two stories, others were asking me to run with them so I was doing it for them because they asked. The difference is now I do it for myself! You need to start somewhere, so make the commitment and start! :) Good luck!
~Erin Leigh
PS. You should definitely download the mapmyrun app. It is an app that tracks your workouts, calories burned, routes and other data. You can friend request people so when they finish a workout, you get a whistle notification that they completed a workout. This is also another motivating tool. So download the app, then friend request me. I'm always up for more motivation and hopefully I can help to motivate you too! ;)
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