Completion!

Yesterday, I came face-to-face with the reality of why I run. I run so that a) I can eat cookies, and b) I can take incredible naps. Seriously, it doesn’t get much better! Maybe you aren’t a runner, but you ski or hike or lift weights. Maybe you are reading this and you are one of my crazy CrossFit friends! (You know who you are!) In any case, you know there is something to be said for the sheer and utter exhaustion that comes from intense physical exertion. It just feels GOOD! Equally euphoric is the sense of accomplishment you feel when your body is telling you to quit and your mind is dominating, telling you to go farther, faster.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to experience all the highs that come with running. After a few days of driving and spending time out of state, I was anxious to spend some of my weekend time in the Colorado outdoors. I was also resolved to redeem myself from an earlier excursion gone wrong. Here’s what happened: a couple of weeks ago I found a running group online and decided to try it out. I had read that a group is a good way to increase your skill, so I thought, “Why not?” (P.S. This is turning out to be an extremely dangerous phrase. Use it with caution!) I was excited by the possibility of meeting new friends and growing in my ability (as it turns out, NO ONE talked to me--ha). Anyway, my first time out I was a little too fast for the “back of the pack” and a little too slow for the leaders. As a result, I got a little, well, lost. Lacking a sense of completion, I set out to run the same route again this weekend. Technically, I got lost again and ended up on a completely different trail, but I also went father than I ever would have planned to go! Additionally, I ended up making some friends and had some incredible conversations with some very inspiring people. Fun! All in all, it was one of those experiences I probably won’t forget. I’m facing some life-changing decisions in my personal world, and taking on the biggest running challenge of my life was the perfect prescription for courage.

There is a reason why we never leave our comfort zones. It hurts! It’s scary. Personally, I’d rather eat cookies and nap… but, as I’m discovering every day, a life of depth is waiting for me. I simply have to go for it! This week, ask yourself, “What gives me courage?” And remember, you’ll never experience the exhilaration of the downhill without the pain of the uphill.

Hard to see in the first photo, but this is a close-up of my "gravity tattoo!"