So, here’s my New Year’s Resolution! I’m getting a jump start on it so by the time January rolls around, it’ll already be a habit. Here’s my goal: Blog at least once a week. It’ll be a short little post, it might just have a picture of something I baked with a caption, but I think if I get in the habit of posting, it’ll become second nature!
A little update: Remember that 2-mile run I was training for over the summer in order to pass my health class? Well, a month ago, guess where I was? On a track. Guess who I was with? My entire health class. Guess what I did? RAN 2 MILES IN 19:58!!! I PASSED. I did it. Literally months of blood, sweat and tears culminated in my receiving an A in my health class. I never wanted to see another pair of running shoes or listen to my “jogging” playlist, hit up a treadmill or a trail ever again. This runner’s enthusiasm had run out.
Confession: I haven’t gone to Wake’s gym all semester, and I’ve only gone to 3 workout classes. I worked out almost every day this summer, felt great, and was really proud of how my endurance and strength were improving. Then, I got back to Wake and all of that went away.
Until this Tuesday! I was in my room, about ready to take a nap, when I got a text from my best friend saying she was going to the gym, and asked if I wanted to join her. I was about to send a polite decline, and then I saw my running shoes out of the corner of my eye. They had somehow crept out of the depths of my closet (I stashed them in there after the health test), and looked like they were itching to go out. I thought about it for a second, deleted what I had started to write, and responded, “Be there in 10 minutes!” I threw my hair up in a bun, tossed on some workout pants and a mank and laced up my running shoes.
As I entered the gym, Eye of the Tiger came on. I took this as a positive sign as I surveyed the gym. My options were arms, abs, cycling, elliptical, or weights. And then I saw it. Right next to my best friend on the elliptical. My archnemesis. The thing I had seen at least three times a week this summer. The thing I thought would be the bane of my existence.
I saw the treadmill.
Maybe I was just lonely or maybe I missed the feeling of a continuous ribbon of traction beneath my feet, but I walked over to it, fully intending to get on the elliptical two machines down. Instead, I hopped on. I stretched my calves and Achilles and told myself I was only going to jog for 3 songs. I pressed “quick start,” and set the pace on 4.4 out of 10. Slow, but not agonizingly slow. A good warm up. I would barely notice I was back on it. I only had 45 minutes before I would have to run off to class, but I figured this was better than taking a nap.
Once I hit that green button, all bets were off. 3 songs turned into 5 songs which turned into 10 songs, which turned into 12 songs. 4.4 pace turned into 4.8 pace, then 5.0 pace, then 5.2 pace and finally an all out sprint for the last minute of running. And .5 miles turned into 1.2 miles which turned into 2 miles which turned into 2.7 miles.
Yes, you read that right. 2.7 MILES. And the best part was, I could’ve kept running much longer. So I will.
Today, I went back to the gym and ran (not jogged, but ran) 2 miles in 19 minutes. This weekend, I’ll go on another run. Next Tuesday, I’ll be back on that treadmill. Next Thursday, I’ll be tearing up that trail.
This girl is back in the race, and back in the game. Which game? You ask?
The Pretty Pink Prep game, of course.
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