I have a confession to make to my spark buddy, Melissa: I did not go for a run last night.
I'm terrible, I know.
Here's what else I know:
1. I have never made such great progress in getting into shape as I did when I was jogging regularly.
2. My knee starts to stay in a constant state of noticeable discomfort after I've jogged for over a week.
3. I miss the liberating feeling of running.
4. I miss the empowerment of cross-training (biking, swimming, running)
So I've been perusing the intarwebz for motivational media this morning. And while I hate Nike for their shoddy work ethic, jacked up prices, and apparently tiny clothes, I love them for their motivational material. I just have yet to find any media more inspiring to me than the following advertisements.
And ...
"I am addicted. I've collected footsteps before dawn. Seen places I never knew existed. Run to the moon and back. Been a rabbit for the neighborhood dogs. Obeyed the voice in my head. Let music carry me when I couldn't. Raced against yesterday. Let the world be my witness. Measured myself in meters, kilometers,
and finally character. I've plugged into a higher purpose. Left this world and come back changed. I am addicted. "
Best of all, there are these still ads that make me feel like I have absolutely no excuse to sit here and twiddle my thumbs.
Coming across this next ad made me happy. Now I am reminded I can be an athlete and still have a little thickness to me. So maybe I want to lose a significant amount of weight, it doesn't mean I want to be a stick. I just want to be fit. Here:
The next one is for the people who may still not understand why I do what I do. It's for everyone who looks at a runner and wonders what exactly is off in their head. This one is for the old me -- the me that used to roll my eyes when I saw someone jogging down the street. Now I'm on the other side of that awkward glance. Now I know what it felt like, so because of that, this is for all the runners I scoffed at years back.
(I get it now.)
The last one I'm sort of on the fence about. I wish the wording were different. I don't like the idea of running away from problems; in fact, I'm actively fighting against that mentality with someone in my life right this very moment. BUT I have realized that when I'm running, my head is more clear than any other time. I think that says something.
I think feeling the blood course through my veins awakens my clarity and my reflectiveness and my overall zen and positivity. Am I running away from my problems? Not at all. I'm just running away from what I once perceived as a solution while I run toward and into the new-found clarity that'll help me make the best decision I can with the clearest most objective mind possible.
I'm sick of excuses.
Yeah, my knee hurts. So what?
When I can't run anymore, I'll bike.
And when biking gets too hard for the time being, I'll swim.
And by the time I'm tired of swimming, my knee will have had plenty of rest.
(since I started this blog, I spoke to Melissa. She asked if I ran. When I told her I didn't she was upset with me. Last night she was exhausted and feeling kind of under the weather ... she didn't want to run, but she remember that we were supposed to run 'together' -- she lives on the west coast. I let her down badly and I can't let that happen a second time.)
I'm terrible, I know.
Here's what else I know:
1. I have never made such great progress in getting into shape as I did when I was jogging regularly.
2. My knee starts to stay in a constant state of noticeable discomfort after I've jogged for over a week.
3. I miss the liberating feeling of running.
4. I miss the empowerment of cross-training (biking, swimming, running)
So I've been perusing the intarwebz for motivational media this morning. And while I hate Nike for their shoddy work ethic, jacked up prices, and apparently tiny clothes, I love them for their motivational material. I just have yet to find any media more inspiring to me than the following advertisements.
And ...
"I am addicted. I've collected footsteps before dawn. Seen places I never knew existed. Run to the moon and back. Been a rabbit for the neighborhood dogs. Obeyed the voice in my head. Let music carry me when I couldn't. Raced against yesterday. Let the world be my witness. Measured myself in meters, kilometers,
and finally character. I've plugged into a higher purpose. Left this world and come back changed. I am addicted. "
Best of all, there are these still ads that make me feel like I have absolutely no excuse to sit here and twiddle my thumbs.
Coming across this next ad made me happy. Now I am reminded I can be an athlete and still have a little thickness to me. So maybe I want to lose a significant amount of weight, it doesn't mean I want to be a stick. I just want to be fit. Here:
The next one is for the people who may still not understand why I do what I do. It's for everyone who looks at a runner and wonders what exactly is off in their head. This one is for the old me -- the me that used to roll my eyes when I saw someone jogging down the street. Now I'm on the other side of that awkward glance. Now I know what it felt like, so because of that, this is for all the runners I scoffed at years back.
(I get it now.)The last one I'm sort of on the fence about. I wish the wording were different. I don't like the idea of running away from problems; in fact, I'm actively fighting against that mentality with someone in my life right this very moment. BUT I have realized that when I'm running, my head is more clear than any other time. I think that says something.
I think feeling the blood course through my veins awakens my clarity and my reflectiveness and my overall zen and positivity. Am I running away from my problems? Not at all. I'm just running away from what I once perceived as a solution while I run toward and into the new-found clarity that'll help me make the best decision I can with the clearest most objective mind possible.
I'm sick of excuses.
Yeah, my knee hurts. So what?
When I can't run anymore, I'll bike.
And when biking gets too hard for the time being, I'll swim.
And by the time I'm tired of swimming, my knee will have had plenty of rest.
(since I started this blog, I spoke to Melissa. She asked if I ran. When I told her I didn't she was upset with me. Last night she was exhausted and feeling kind of under the weather ... she didn't want to run, but she remember that we were supposed to run 'together' -- she lives on the west coast. I let her down badly and I can't let that happen a second time.)
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