Happy Christmas!
Yesterday was amazing. Not only was it Christmas Day, I also hit a pretty significant milestone. Its kinda funny how things come full circle - I don't know if you can remember that far back, but last December I wrote one of my first blog posts for The Skinny Doll called 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step'. That quote has never rang more true than it does now. Yesterday morning, as I got home from my Christmas Day run, my Nike App looked like this:
1600km... That's 1000 miles! I honestly could never have imagined what a thousand miles looks like or how far 1000 miles is (I googled it and it's basically Galway to Berlin). As I ran around Ennis yesterday morning, a few people beeped me. I'd like to imagine it was because they were cheering me on, they know how far I'd come and how hard I've worked at both my weight and fitness. In reality it more had to do with the fact I had a Santa Hat on and was running in the rain I'd imagine.
Knowing that I was going to cross the 1000 mile threshold by the time I sat down to Christmas dinner really spurred me on. I shouted Happy Christmas to the older lady getting into her cute red Micra (probably heading to mass), I waved back at the car where the kids turned and looked back out the rear view mirror at me as they passed... but then something happened that really made me think.
Not one but two ambulances whizzed past. Imagine, at 10am on Christmas morning needing an ambulance. I find a certain grounding in things like that. Here I am out for a run on Christmas morning trying to suppress that little voice in my head saying "It's Christmas, take it easy, you don't need to run that far/fast" while other people are in need of a ambulance.
I do feel extremely lucky to be where I am today. Over the course of my running journey which started with a single 30 second run, I have learned more about myself than I ever could have imagined.
Post Christmas Run
I hope however you spent your Christmas, I hope you had a happy one. I also know that new year is fast approaching and many people (myself included) are making their lists of resolutions for the new year. My advice to you is simple... Start small. A single step is all that's needed. Who knows where it's going to take you. In fact does it really matter where it takes you as long as you are going in the direction you want. In my case I have been so lucky to find something I really really love in running. And while I'll never win a race or compete in the Olympics - the biggest kick I get from running is beating myself. You are your only competition.
Now, enough of my ranting on, it's Stephens Day and I'm off to Athenry to take part in the Fields of Athenry and run off some of the Christmas indulgences from yesterday. Ho ho ho!
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