What Was I Thinking?

I have made good on a few of my New Year's promises to myself.  

Specifically 

Accept challenges with grace and determination.

Step outside my comfort zone more often.

Take better care of me - my body, my soul, my spirit.

I have also been gluten-free for 2 months.

My dad challenged me to run the Monument Avenue 10K with him.

I accepted.  With determination (but a lot of some internal kicking and screaming).

I am stepping outside my comfort zone here people.  I have not been a runner in 20 years.  Three kids and lots of college/post-college beer makes 20 pounds too.

It's an effort to take better care of me.  Yes, my body, but I also find running helps me clear my head.  Find some peace.  And quality time with myself, which is essential to me to be a good wife, mother, daughter, sister, person.

It's not been easy.

I am sore. So. Very. Sore.

Knowing I have to run sometime during the day stresses me out.

20 years and hoisting three children on my hip for 9 years has rendered my body slightly misaligned.

I have two different kinds of orthotics in my shoes.  One to supplement the 1/4 inch that's missing from my left leg.  Another to reinforce arch support in my other shoe.

Further proof my alignment is out of whack?

Apparently, I kick myself.

BUT.

I feel healthy and strong.

I feel determined.

I am proud of what I'm teaching my daughter.

I love running with her (incidentally, she can go out and run 3.5 miles no problem and still do it faster than me, and I love that about her).

Will I keep it up?  I don't know.

It gets hot in Richmond in the summer.  Really, really hot.  And I don't do well in the heat.

Or the cold for that matter.  I'm kind of a baby that way.

But, I will persevere.  I made a promise to my dad, my daughter, and myself.

And, I owe it to all of us to see this through.