Taking That First Step

Monday morning my husband didn’t have to go to work-federal holiday, so I decided that what would really be great would be to run together. My husband has been running at work so it’s something we’ve both been working on. I finally “convinced” him it would be fun (smiley face) and we went, with our two year old in tow. As I was running I realized something about my personal journey…..running has really helped me be more happy and confident, which in turn has made me more pleasant and focused, which in turn has affected my marriage in a good way.
Last year, about this time, I was probably worried about something insignificant, may have been complaining about it, and probably felt worn out and beat up. That takes its toll on any relationship. Looking back I can see how my marriage has suffered because of a grumpy, pessimistic attitude. I had gotten stuck in a rut and depended on someone else to make me happy.
Running has helped me fill my own bucket. It’s a term my daughter brought home her kindergarten year, filling buckets. In school they focused on how they filled each others buckets, but I have realized that we need to be in charge of our own buckets. Yes, relationships and human interaction are central to our existence, and we need to work on them, BUT, we are ultimately in charge of who we are, how we feel, and what we do. There is a tendency to “dump” blame on others and the phrase “personal responsibility” seems to be going out of style- and with it the empowerment that comes from knowing that you are in charge of what happens in your life. If you don’t like something, if something has made you sad-FIX IT-because you CAN.
My husband and I enjoyed our run together, we ran a 5 mile loop. I talked about all sorts of silly things and he listened patiently (probably wondering if I ever stop talking lol ), we enjoyed the cold breeze and the bright sun, and our little blond two year old with her hair blowing all around her head like a halo. When we finished we decided to weed and mulch the front yard. We spent the whole day working together and enjoying it. And it all happened because we took that first step.
So if you’re waiting for a change in life-don’t wait, take that first step. Get out the door, challenge yourself. You can’t change life if you don’t change what you do. This is me loving life, trying hard to change from depressed, overwhelmed and tired to strong, happy and free.

2024 RESULTS ARE IN:

2024 Photos Coming Soon!

Race-day related updates will be posted here.