Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!
Now let’s get started by talking about the power of looking at the positive when it comes to staying motivated to run through all seasons of life and to keep on going. This was something my dear and long-time friend, Laura Murrieta (on the right standing by Kelly) inspired me to write about after seeing her Facebook post yesterday, “Praise the Lord today for a 5k to start off the 4th of July with some friends. I've been dealing with a hip injury the last couple of weeks and today was an answered prayer for a minimum pain run. Today was the best my hip has felt in about 3 weeks. It felt more like discomfort which I can handle!” Do you just love that or what?
Now before we hear 'the backstory' behind the reason I was so happy for Laura, I'd love for you to check out the photo above that showed up on my Facebook memories from July 4, 2012. If you look closely at our friend Kelly (2nd from the left in the polka dotted socks), you can see that she has an ankle brace on. But 11 years later, after several surgeries, many life changes, and multiple injuries, she is still running with Laura (on right with a flower in her hair) and me (in the middle) and completed the same event with Laura yesterday!! Interestingly enough, both of these ladies are astonishingly positive people who look for the silver lining in every situation and who refuse to give up, finding ways to keep moving when circumstances prevent them from pounding the pavement. Laura, in fact, has had three children since this photo was taken and is still showing up for those runs despite all the responsibilities and the ups and downs that come with raising a family and working a part-time job.
Which brings me to my point. If you want to run for a lifetime (and I hope you do given it's many benefits), you have to look at the positives of every season. And I'm not just talking about enjoying the coolness of spring runs, the carefreeness of summer runs, the joys of fall running, and the beauty of winter running, but the seasons of life where it might be difficult to run. Whether it be because of an injury, a job change, a family difficulty, or even a case of burnout, there a million things that can come at us to steal our motivation... if we let it. Babe Ruth said it well though when he said, "You just can't beat the person who won't give up.” So be that person who looks for the positive in every situation and keep lacing up! Cross-train for a while if you have to but don't stop moving! Your seasons will change, they never stay the same, but you'll be ready for whatever comes your way by choosing to find the good in every situation.
Without further ado then, here’s ‘the backstory’ as told by Laura: I did a marathon back in April, the Saint Louis GO. Been working with some friends to help them achieve a half marathon, they are training for Frog Hill. The last 3 to 4 weeks, I went from heel pain to hip pain. The hip pain becoming so painful I went to the doctor. The doctor told me she believed I had aggravated hip muscles due to the heel pain changing my stride. So the last couple of weeks I've been working on hip mobility And stretching. And started a hiking series on my treadmill so that way I could still keep my fitness up by doing low impact but still getting my heart rate up. I've been praying that God would at least make my pain bearable or to more of a discomfort and today He answered those prayers. This morning I was a little nervous as to how the run would go because any sudden hip moment like coughing would aggravate my hip and just starting the morning off that way was starting to frustrate me. But I knew I just needed to show up with what I had and God would do the rest whatever was in His will. I told the ladies this morning before we started that they should't feel the need to stay back. I don't know what my hip will do, I will do what I can but if I have to walk I will. The beginning was a little testy as trying to move around people in a crowded race can be a little tough but was the race went one my hip pain slowly went away and about 1/2 , the hip pain was basically non existent. I was slower than my friends but not by much and they literally stopped before crossing the finish line to let me catch up so we could cross together. But behind them I was beyond proud of them, as I watched them push to the finish line. The end. Lol
So there you have it friends. Life’s seasons will change just as the weather ones do—there will be lots of ebbs and flows and highs and lows. As a runner who’s been at it for more than three decades, I can certainly attest to this. There have been countless things that have sidelined me throughout the years, just as they will every runner who keeps putting one foot in front of the other, but I didn’t stay down and you don’t have to either. I recognized that the setbacks were just seasons that would soon pass and kept moving—whether it was by using the elliptical, doing aqua running, riding a bike, or simply walking—until I could resume running, always coming out better on the other end by the lessons learned. So keep moving my friend by choosing to look at the positives. You’ll be so glad you did!
HAPPY RUNNING!
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