Acting on my Decision: Never Say Never and Can't Isn't Always Can't

When I was in high school, I was very involved in sports. I played volleyball, basketball, and ran track. I loved volleyball (still do), understood basketball better than I could play it, and actually had some success at track. However, when I left high school, I planned on leaving all my competitive sports behind me, especially track because I never really enjoyed running. It was something I did, but nothing that I loved.

These two ecards best illustrated my feelings about running after I left high school:

It wasn't something I ever planned on doing again, unless it was absolutely necessary for survival and even then, it's questionable if I would be able to save myself from much of anything.

Then as I started my journey, I started realizing that more and more of my friends were runners. I was adamantly a walker. I wasn't going to be a runner. Walking was plenty for me. I was good at walking and could walk at a good pace for a long distance. It was okay.

Then I started talking with people about races. Both of my Erin friends were runners now and talked passionately and excitedly about running. It got me started thinking and sadly the thinking wasn't very positive. As I signed up for my first 5K, I was excited and nervous, but also a little frustrated and discouraged because most of the people I knew were going to be running the race or at least part of the race. In this very blog, I vented my frustration in a post. Here is the part of that post that covers this point the most:

"For example, I can't run. I have arthritis in my right knee (frankly, probably both knees) and so high impact activities, like running, make me hurt too much for me to do them. It's not that I even really want to run. I used to run some when I was younger and I never really enjoyed it. It's mostly that I can't and so that frustrates me." - Marci Adversalo, June 30, 2012

I knew that there was no possible way that I could run. It was never going to happen.

Then the impossible became possible. On October 4th, I was out for my evening walk and decided to try some jogging too. And it worked! I could run! Not fast and not far, but it was running.

I had a couple of setbacks along the way. My hip wasn't sure how it felt about running and then my calf decided that I hadn't given it enough attention and made me focus on it. However, I've started doing races again, and with that, I've started running again too. I will say that I still don't love it when I'm doing it, but I sure do love the way that I feel when I'm done!

Today I finally said it out loud: I am a runner. Not a jogger, but a runner. I'm not going to downplay it or add disclaimers or make it seem like more or less than it is. I am a runner.

I have conquered an obstacle that I thought was insurmountable. I have discovered that I can do something I was sure that I would never be able to do. I need to remember this when I get down about other things. I can do things I never dreamed were possible. I just need to be willing to try and be patient if the results don't come immediately or if there are setbacks on the way.

So as I continue on my journey, I'll try to remember that I can do more than I think I can and when I do something I thought was impossible, it feels amazing!!