Don't Give a Sh*t

Currently mom and I are in marathon training mode for the Fall. We are running the Indianapolis Marathon on October 15th - for her it will be the half, for me it will be a second crack at the marathon distance. As you all recall the first time didn't go so hot with stomach cramps, lots of porta potty stops, and maybe even some crying and general discomfort. This time I have sworn to myself that I will train smarter and this includes joining a local running group so that my weekly long runs can be done in the company and misery of others. So far this tactic seems to be working and we are now up to 15 miles for our long run this Saturday.

However, in running and talking with these individuals I have noticed one annoying habit that many of us seem to possess. Here we all are at 7 am on a Saturday morning in 90 degree heat successfully completing longer and longer distances and yet each of us seems to be battling a negative voice that tells us we are too slow, too old, too fat, or too something. I have heard more than one runner compare themselves to someone skinnier and faster and find themselves wanting. Rather than celebrate our abilities we choose to focus on unrealistic expectations which can only lead to unhappiness. Do I wish I could be a faster runner? Absolutely. Am I trying to shed those annoying 20 lbs? You betcha. But I also can remember a time not too long ago when running a mile would have been impossible much less 26. Yes the girl who cheated on the Presidential fitness test every year in high school (sorry gym teachers out there), can now run a mile with no problem. And for that I am grateful. So I will be trying to focus on that feeling over the course of the next few weeks. As my weekly miles steadily increase and race time approaches it is with gratitude that I will be running this marathon - thanking my body that it allows me to do such things...even when I am cursing and questioning why I have chosen to do so.

So like the narrator in this hilarious youtube video points out - be like the honey badger and try not to give a sh*t when the desire to negatively compare yourself to others creeps up. Because even when you may feel like you are running in slow motion, you are still pretty badass!