A Mile in My Very Own Sneakers

A few days ago, at the YMCA, I did something I haven't done for at least 10 years. I ran one mile, without stopping. This, to put it mildly, was for me like running an entire marathon. Not because I was ready to collapse by the end, but because in my mind I really didn't think this was something I was capable of. Wierdly enough, I did it in the SAME sneakers I wore 10 years ago. The sneakers my mom bought for me in Charlottesville, VA because I wanted to start running on the treadmill at the Wintergreen Gym.

Now to all you "runners" out there who are thinking, "ONE MILE? This is what she is proud of?? That's NOTHING!! Just the other day I ran 15 miles while pushing my baby in the jogging stroller with one hand and trading stocks on my cell phone with the other. All whilst my genius children played their violins, cellos and other various difficult instruments at their rehearsals for the New York Symphony". I say, "That's right, one mile and I'm DANG proud of it!"

Usually at the YMCA when I run on the track, I'll usually run one lap around and then walk one lap. But the other day, after running one lap, my feet didn't stop. I ran another lap, and another, and another. Before I knew it I had run 9 laps, one whole mile. The smile that spread across my face was bigger than any smile I have felt for a LONG time. Not that I haven't smiled, I smile everyday. But this was a smile of self-accomplishment. From doing something I had told myself was out of my capability.

After my 9 laps I immediately went downstairs to the weight room area of our YMCA where Jeff was doing various strong-man things like lifting ALL the weight on every machine without any trouble at all, or doing approximately 157 pull-ups with his hands about three feet apart and then just holding himself off the ground in a pull-up for something like 14.65 minutes.
I told Jeff my news, still smiling ear to ear, to which he responded "That's great!" Then I said, "I haven't done that for 10 years". To which he responded "WHAT?? Ten years?" I told him how ususally when I come to the gym I run a lap and then walk one, to which he responded "Well then how did you make such a big jump to running a mile today?" My answer? "I just felt like I could keep running." And it was the truth.

All this time I thought my body couldn't do it, that I was not able physically. In reality, turns out, it was my mind that was the stumbling block. But that day, my mind gave me a gift and let me accomplish something I felt was totally out of my reach.
On the last few laps of my mile run all I could think about was something my cousin-in-law Annie wrote in her blog regarding her own gym related, eye-opening experience. She wrote, "Maybe I'm not the person I thought I was. Maybe I'm much more than that."
It inspired me when I read it 7 months ago, and it continues to inspire me today. It's so true, in not only a workout related sense, it's true for all the parts of our lives. Maybe we aren't who we thought, think, or told ourselves we are. Maybe, in fact most likely, we are SO much more than that. And maybe if we allow ourselves to TRULY believe it, our minds will give us gifts every now and again. Then we'll do the things we had convinced ourselves were impossible.
Thanks Annie, you helped me run that mile. Here's to the hopefully many miles ahead of me.
(If you'd like to read Annie's full post click here and scroll down to Althleticism Later in Life: Part Four)