10 Times More
What do you get when you go from only being able to run 3 minutes straight to running 30 minutes straight? Besides running 10 times more?
There are the obvious advantages of starting a running regimen that slowly challenges us to push beyond what we thought we could do physically. Cardiovascular Health, Increased Lung Capacity and Weight Loss just to name a few.
I have spoken openly about my most stressful year when my oldest daughter left home last year, and how I ate my way through it (and all the stress leading up to that). Right before I had put on all that weight I was doing an amazing job of exercising, and eating well. I was kind of meditating, but not really on a regular basis. I knew of my higher self, but we didn’t hang-out as much as I’d have liked. Thanks to a wonderful mentor, Adele from Phoenix Rising Healing Centre, I spent most of this fall and winter meditating and really connecting to my higher self. I was laying the foundation to proper self-care.
And then, one day in March I decided I was done living the unhealthy life. Remember the scene where Forrest Gump gets out of his rocking chair and leaves his porch and just runs. That was me. I decided my body, my health, and my happiness was a priority, so I ran.
But this isn’t all about how I look from the outside. Running releases those endorphins that bathe our brains in lovely happy hormones which help with the lows in our lives and even with balancing out some of the mental extremes us women get every month. When I was asked by a friend if I was running to train for a race, I answered I was training for menopause. I want to stay off hormones and anti-depressants when my time comes to say bye-bye to my monthly gift from Mother Nature. If you want to stay off medication, regular exercise is a great place to start.
More importantly, I gained an enormous sense of accomplishment. When I went from running intervals of 3 minutes to 5 minutes with walks in between, I was so very proud of myself for doing something I had never done before. And then I reached the 8 minute mark which was oddly enough a mental block for me. Pushing through that was another huge triumph. The feeling of running 20 minutes straight and then 30 minutes straight is so marvelous that I wish I could bottle it up and give it to the whole world.
Over the years I managed to accumulate some negative self-talk that I heard from the critics in my life. One of those old tapes that stayed on repeat for a long time was: “You never finish anything, Tammy. You always give up before then end. You leave the job half-done.” Imagine my surprise when two separate people told me in one week in January that they admired my strong work ethic and my ability to get the job done. I was amazed at how these two seemingly intelligent people could be so wrong about me. Then I took the time to look at the evidence from their perspective, and gosh darn it I did work hard, get results and finish the job. Those old tapes were wrong! What are your old tapes telling you about your ability to start exercising, running, meditating, putting your self-care on your priority list?
What more proof did I need? After all, I wrote a book. And, I got it published. Those two are not the same thing by any stretch of the imagination. Let me tell you that it took nerves of steel to run through that gauntlet. But, I saw it to the end and I got the job done. And every single time I lace up my running shoes and hit the pavement I want to quit a quarter of the way in, but I push to the half way mark and then I’m good until the last five minutes and I have to push to the end. And every single time I pat myself on the back.
I may have the book smarts of years as a registered nurse, alternative healer, and psychology student, but I also inspire by having walked (or ran) my talk. When I work with my clients, or give a class, you get all of me—not only what is in my head but also what is in my heart. So head over to my Facebook page and like it! Comment bellow that you are ready to put yourself first on your priority list and I will contact you to let you know how I can help you do that.
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