A New Level
Over the summer (since school has begun summer is essentially over), my goal is to wake up early-and by early I mean during the 5:00 am hour-and get my first workout done. This summer has been brutal, with triple digits being the norm, so if I’m running it has to be done while it’s cooler than 90 degrees. While I enjoy running in cold or wet weather, I don’t enjoy running in both cold and wet weather. Nor do I enjoy running in hot temperatures. I don’t mind starting out cold, as I will eventually warm up. But starting out hot is just miserable.
There was one day I gave myself some grace and slept in till 7:00. My whole body was tired, and my legs and back were terribly sore, so I decided it would be a walking day. As I was getting ready to go walk, a voice in my head reminded me that if I have options, I should choose the hardest one.
UGH. NO.
This concept of choosing the hardest option is because of 75Hard. If 75Hard is new to you, go back and read some of my other posts to understand what’s involved. I refer it as majoring in mental toughness with a minor in time management. There are those who say it’s too hard, it’s too much, it’s too long, and doing half as much can still build mental toughness. If someone has said that to you, don’t believe them. They’re flat out wrong and haven’t done the program. Perhaps they’ve “tried” 75Hard, but this is not something you can try and see how well you do. You have to be decided and fully committed to doing the program completely, or failure is guaranteed.
Because choosing the hardest option was the right choice, I rather begrudgingly got ready to run. I didn’t want to, but I still knew I was doing the right thing.
I did the right thing, and I am so glad I did.
I use an app for running called Couch to 5K. It’s a great app that helps runners prepare for a 5K race with walk/run intervals. The app gives prompts for when to run and when to walk. It also offers encouragement: “Hey there, awesome runner!” “You’re rocking it!” “You’re halfway there!” All of which has been far more encouraging than I expected. The app can be used at the same time as music or a podcast plays. After each session I get to decide if it was too hard, too easy or just right. The app adjusts my next session depending on my decision.
At the time of this writing, I was still on one of the easier sessions: eight running intervals of 60 seconds each, followed by 90 seconds of walking. Each session starts and ends with five minutes of walking. When I set out around 8am that morning, it was 82 degrees, overcast and breezy, a surprisingly perfect morning to run.
When I first began running last year, I was about 15 pounds lighter. Because of that extra weight I currently carry, this particular run was a rather challenging one…my legs were hurting, and it’s generally just harder to run with additional weight. But once I started, I wasn’t about to quit. Since it was overcast, I was hoping for some wet weather, but all I got was sprinkles. That being said, this was a fantastic run. I pushed myself to keep going and came out stronger, both mentally and physically, on the other side. I felt like I had crossed the finish line of a major race with a huge crowd cheering for me.
I. DID. IT.
Doing The Hard is proving to be so worth it. Most people live their lives to be comfortable. I am one of those who has spent nearly my whole life searching out comfort. Getting uncomfortable has made me stronger, tougher and better able to face the challenges Life often throws my way. I still have a long way to go, but I am well on my way to who I want to become, even if I am getting a late start.
