Something about Running

Last August I wrote about rising to the occasion and finding the strength to truly challenge myself. And when I say “challenge” I mean it in every sense of its definition:

• a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength
• difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it

My “call” or “summons”, if you can even call it that, came last summer when I took a good look at myself and said, “Genevieve, it’s time to get your A into G. Enough is enough.” How many of you have had that same pep talk?

I had always been athletic all throughout middle school, high school and even college. But for some reason, when I crossed the stage to get my diploma, my athletic motivation stayed put, refusing to budge an inch. Ever since that fateful day, I’ve been struggling to regain some form of the motivation that kept me going all those years.

As time went by I got really, REALLY good at finding any and all types of excuses that would get me out of working out. Reading a book, cleaning the bathroom, doing laundry. You name it. That behavior was augmented by the fact that I, more often that not, chose to turn a blind eye to the painfully obvious.

Just completed the Raleigh Rocks Half-Marathon

After years of this unfortunate routine, my “call” came in the form of a half-marathon. That’s right, a half-marathon. They always say you have to go big or go home. I signed up for a training program (with the help of my friends) and haven’t looked back since.

Don’t get me wrong; there have been times when I’ve wanted to stop dead in my tracks. Morning’s where I’ve wanted to hide under the sheets so my roommate can’t find me and tell me its time to go run. Day’s where all I want to do is give up, throw in the towel and call it quits.

But I won’t because running has now become a part of who I am. Something about running fuels me, fires me up and let’s me go to a place I don’t often get to go.

I ran my second half-marathon this past weekend up in Raleigh. It was an unreal feeling to cross the finish line and realize how far I had come since my “Come to Genevieve” moment. I could go on and on about each step I took, the wall I hit on mile 11 and the scenery…if only to delay the moment when I have to gingerly lift myself up out of this chair. Hey, no pain, no gain right?

Setting goals can often be so much easier said than done. But sometimes it’s not the goal itself that motivates us, but rather the act of taking the plunge and venturing into the unknown that drives us.

It is important not to be limited in any capacity. – Aimee Mullins