Running has changed me. Not just physically, but mentally.
Somewhere between getting pregnant, running consistently, and working with weights, I had a major mindset change. I stopped
being focused on my size and what my body looked like and started giving all my attention to what my body could do--what splits could I run? How long could I go? How fast? How heavy? It became about performance, about taking time for myself, about feeling strong, about being the best version of myself.
Reflecting back on it, I am a data driven person, always have been. I am also very type A. I like to have organized plans and see growth. Getting on the elliptical for 30 minutes, the goal is unclear. Tracking growth is hard when you go to the gym and copy a workout from a magazine. The number on the scale was an easy and popular way to track growth, despite that it wasn’t the healthiest way to track anything.
Running gave me the outlet I didn’t know I needed. It gave me a way to challenge and plan and see growth that my enneagram 1 self craved.
I will be eternally grateful to running for giving me the ability to see my body in a new light. It’s much easier for me to appreciate all it can do -- run, grow and deliver babies, play with my kids, go on adventures with my husband, take care of family and friends -- when I’m not measuring its’ worth by a scale.