Why I Can

It's no secret I don't like running. I think it's pretty awful. Some bodies are made for it and some are not. Mine is one, I'm convinced, that is not. It's not fun, it hurts my chest, it hurts my head. And I get bored. I can't seem to think of anything deep or even shallow to think about. I can only think about not wanting to run anymore.

So here's the secret. I asked Ben if he and I could start a little running together. In the morning even. (If you knew me as a teenager you'd be reeling at this moment.) And we have been 4 times now. We're starting small, for my sake: just a bit over a mile. But today we did 2.3 miles. Working up.

I was not exactly looking forward to it. We warmed up with a walk to the footbridge and then started to go. Running. "Uh, my feet are wet from walking through the grass...This sidewalk's uneven...I think I need to go to the bathroom...I didn't eat the best last night."

We rounded the corner of our first stretch and a lightbulb went on: "I'm trying to convince myself to stop. I'm thinking through why I can't do this. But...there's a part of my that wants to run this. What if I thought of all the reasons why I can do it?"

I tried to train my brain through the run why I can. "I have a strong body." "I am healthy." "I have Ben running it with me, and he's thankfully pushing the stroller." '"I actually feel great, especially compared to the first time I ran last week." "I have Ben talking to me and keeping my mind focused." "I have energy in me still."

Today my body actually had the easiest time yet. Maybe because it was a lot cooler outside. Probably because it happened to be a good day. But I can tell I hit on something important around that first curve today. If I focus on why I can do things, rather then why I can't, I'll go a lot further and enjoy it a whole lot more. There's something to think about there.

We'll see if I keep it up.