I glanced left at my wall of accomplishment and noticed something. It has been exactly two years since my first race ever.
Two years.
760 days since that first magical finish line.
I didn’t know it at the time, but I’m hooked. I enjoy training, I look forward to purchasing new gear, and I revel in the finish line. It is a magical place where fears and self doubts are crushed.
I’ll be crossing a few more in the near future.
I’m hooked on running not just because of the physical benefits, but even more because of the mental and emotional benefits. Running has changed my life. I now view it as an analogy for so many things. I don’t want to sprint at the start and exhaust myself. Instead, I want to go at a sustainable pace in life. Running taught me that. I learned about injuries — when to push through and when to listen to my body. Running taught me that. I want to know my goal and keep focused for a sustained period of time. Running taught me that. I want to run alongside others and encourage them to meet their goals. Running taught me that too.
I thought running would be a short-term pasttime. I thought I was taking up running just to drop a few pounds, but instead running changed my perspective on life and two years ago, I didn’t see it coming.
Where have you learned a lesson from an unexpected source?