Reflections on the Nike Women’s 15k

Just do it? JUST DID IT, Y’ALL.

The Nike Women’s 15k this weekend was AMAZING. It was raining and cold, the run was hard, and I was highly unprepared, but none of that even mattered. Being on the Island running alongside thousands of other women (and like 2 men) was so inspiring…I loved every second. (Except for the ferry ride back…didn’t love that. Thanks, Mother Nature).

Before March of this year, I had hardly run before in my life. Sprinting was my schtick in high school, and let’s get real, there was no exercising being done in university. Having spent the past few months “training” (running sporadically), I wanted to talk about a few of the things that being active again has taught me.

1. I actually miss being athletic
Playing sports in high school was basically a requirement, but once I graduated I quit being an athlete. It was just so much easier to eat everything and not move… ANYWAYS. Since I’ve been running again, I’ve been reminded how good it feels to work out and feel sore and feel STRONG. 

2. Progress, not perfection
It is so easy to feel like you aren’t progressing in something as colossal as learning to run…but no matter how small, it is possible to feel like you’ve achieved something. I track my runs with the Nike+ app, and my first run was, like .44km. It’s embarrassing to even look at. But since then, I’ve only gotten stronger. I could hardly run 1km without walking 2 months ago, and now I can run 5 and not feel like I’m going to die. IT’S A MIRACLE!

3. Celebrate the little things
People run marathons and are awesome. I am not one of those people. But I am STILL pretty awesome for finishing this run! It’s important to celebrate the small victories- like finishing a race, or improving on my 10k time.

4. I want to keep going!
Wtf, I actually like exercising. The fact that I’ve gotten to a point of enjoying running is absurd. I’ve noticed my laziness over the past few years and am ready to make a change. That’s why as of today, I’ve started Kayla Itsines BBG. I’ve been staring at her Instagram for months wishing I could look and feel like the girls in her pictures…I finally said F THIS and bought the guides. It’s going to be a crazy 12 weeks, but I’m up for the challenge. 

Just do it, right?

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