Onto Week Two: Finding Myself

[2017runnernat]

I’ve come to cherish my runs. From the moment I put on my running pants and hoodie, to the standing outside of my garden gate, putting in my ear phones and deciding which route to take; I love my runs.

I started my C25K journey at a gym but after my gym membership expired I thought I’d brave the challenge of running outdoors; and I’m so glad I did! Running outdoors reminds me of being a young teenager: my friends and I running from school and into the local farm where we’d run over creaks, fallen down trees, over horse gates, bridges and through the sewer. We were free from fear, of falling over, of being caught, of the abundance of fecal matter and urine absorbed into our shoes, and of life’s ‘to-do’s’ my now adulthood seems to be filled with. We weren’t worried about all of the things we had to do that day, we took life in it’s stride and did things according to what we wanted to do. We didn’t have to gauge the risks of climbing a tree or climbing on a horse.

We just didn’t care.

That’s how I feel now when I run.

As a mother raising a very sensitive and strong willed three year old, whose husband is currently on the other side of the world because of stupid immigration laws, and while training to become a secondary English Teacher, there’s a lot of instability in my life right now, and a lot I feel I can’t control.

Running is currently my stability.

I recently read on a friends Facebook status “if you woke up without a goal today, go back to sleep”. Well, I have lots of goals. I want to change the face of education, I want to write books - children’s books, educational books, novels and novellas; I want to gain a Masters, perhaps two, I want to do a PHD, I want to do Tedx Talk and eventually have my own school; I want to run a 5k with ease, and eventually a half marathon and the full marathon at Angkor Wat. I want to feel so fit and healthy that I can go on hikes around the world and that will be my lifestyle, and my daughters lifestyle, and it may even influence others to take on a healthy lifestyle, because it matters.

I have a lot of goals. But one thing I’ve learnt about running is the old adage “slow and steady wins the race”. Goals are great, we need goals in order to know what we’re aiming to achieve - but it doesn’t all have to happen right now. I run because it keeps me in the moment, away from everything else. Yes I’d love to be a size 10 again and get rid of all that excess belly fat, and run that 5k race, but I run today, now, because I enjoy it. Running teaches me so much more than running, it teaches me how to enjoy life, and have belief in myself, which is why I’ll keep going.

Happy new year everyone - 2018.. time to run! 🏃🏻😊🤝

[icklegui Graduate]

This is such a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing your goals with us and wish you all the best in achieving them - you remind me of a dear friend who is also a runner, and a teacher ... she's doing her PhD too ...

You'll achieve whatever you want, I suspect, and you'll get there running x

[2017runnernat in reply to icklegui]

Thank you

[Fishypieface Graduate]

Oh I love your enthusiasm! You've inspired me. I was feeling a bit middle-aged and long in the tooth for change, but your list of goals has made me want to try again. It's really hard to keep goals in sight as other things in life take over, I never give them the time that they deserve. But last year I started with running and it's worked. Good luck on your journey

[2017runnernat in reply to Fishypieface]

Aww thank you. Do what you love and give yourself the time you deserve. We only get one life so why not take risks and give it a shot? Thanks for reply. Knowing that I’m inspiring other people keeps me going too xx

[Anthie Graduate]

What a lovely picture! Thank you for sharing that beautiful post runnernat! One step at a time and one goal at a time, a very simple principle but not so easy to follow when you feel overwhelmed, and like you I think running and exercising outdoors in any way is a great way to clarity/ clear insight of what you aim to achieve. It's also a principle I try to follow when I teach English to teens (in France) but very hard to stick to it in class at times!

I wish you a lot of other wonderful, happy discoveries with your son, lots of joy with your running and a lot of strength and common sense in your teaching training. Remember you are "unlimited" I posted this on the forum this morning as I found it very funny to get a Yogi tea bag on New Year's Day just after getting out of bed telling me this: "You are unlimited." Happy New Year!