Push

Last week I went on my usual run, followed my usual route, and ran at my usual pace. B-o-r-i-n-g. After I finished I decided something needed to change. So I checked out a local running club. Went on-line and convinced myself to make the first call to get things going. Very out of my comfort zone. I generally run alone....and like it that way. And that needs to change. So last night 2 friends from my neighborhood and I braved our first run with the "group". An "easy 3" out and back is how it was phrased. They forgot to mention the pace though...and it was fast. We survived, had fun talking and laughing at ourselves, and I drove home smiling from ear to ear.

Fast forward to this morning. I woke-up at 4:45 to make a 5:15 track workout. And this one I was doing all alone. Did I mention it was at 4:45?! Didn't know one person at the track. I almost talked myself out of it a few times on the drive there as waves of doubt came over me. Being the new person is tough, and I should be a pro with as many times as we've moved. Walked up and found Coach Allison who proceeded to tell me to "begin with 1-2 miles around the track to warm-up; do 2 sets of butt kick and high knees with one lap of recovery in between; and then 10X400's at 5K pace with a 1 minute and 45 second break in between each lap." I almost ran away screaming, and I can guarantee you that if there had been a Dairy Queen across the street from the track like in high school, I'd have been drowning my insecurities in a Reese's PB Cup Blizzard. But, alas, it was me, coach Allison, and 15 other runners who proceeded to get our booties kicked around the track until 6:15. And by 6:15 I was tired, content, sucking air, and smiling from ear to ear.

Why is we can get so comfortable in our life and forget to really push ourselves? We get ourselves to the edge of being uncomfortable, peer at it, and then back up s-l-o-w-l-y? I am an expert at talking myself out of things. "What if I sign-up and look like a fool. What if I don't know anyone? What if I fail miserably in front of everyone and they know I was really trying? Better to just not sign-up, and I'll do own version here in the comfort of my home." And I have missed out on many things by telling myself things like that. So today I made one baby step towards changing that pattern. Today I did better than good enough. I pushed myself past feeling comfortable right into uncharted waters. And it was glorious. I may be walking like Gumby the rest of the day, but at least I'll have a smile on.