My sister-in-law, Brittany, and I had joked back and forth about running a half marathon together for awhile (she’s a much better and more serious runner than I am so most of the joking was probably on my side honestly but either way it was fun). I’d signed up for races before (much shorter ones) and for some reason or another, always had to bail. Well, when we started talking and looking at races again in the spring of this year, something in me clicked. I wanted to run. I wanted to accomplish this kind of achievement, so long story short (too late! Clue reference, anyone?), I’m now training for a half marathon (Chocolateworld Challenge) at Hershey Park in Hershey PA this October! While most days I think I’m crazy and don’t know why I did this, I also almost feel such a sense of pride in doing something like this half marathon because I’m not a runner, not really. Because I will finish one way or another and I’ll do so with someone I love running next to me. My husband is so encouraging and my family is so supportive, so despite feeling insane for training and trying to accomplish this, somewhere deep down I know I will.

Running and pushing myself has taught me a few important lessons that I wanted to share with you as a reminder of things we so often forget.

1 – You are so much stronger than you believe. This sounds SUPER insane to say and also really cliché (which means it’s true!) but I honestly think it is true. When I started training just a few months ago, I felt like I could hardly get through a mile – how would I ever accomplish six or eight? How would I ever push myself when I have to walk every two minutes? But I DID. Just yesterday, I found my body could run SEVEN AND A HALF miles (with a little bit of walking if we’re being totally honest). I found out my body could run faster than two weeks before. I’ve started to learn what my body is truly capable of doing – and in this case, it’s carrying me a couples miles a day. And while what I’m writing is about my body’s physical ability, I know that mentally and emotionally I’m capable of so much more too – I’m strong enough to push myself and not accept failure.

2- Celebrate the small victories like big ones. I’m still really early in my training- who are we kidding, the race is two weeks from this past Saturday. This means I was accomplishing very short distances – 3 or 4 mile runs – not too long ago. And that was it. And they felt colossal. But every time I get back to my front door, I felt a sense of pride. I would screenshot my log and share it with Brittany and my mom. And while it’s a small goal – especially for someone like Brittany who has trained and run other half marathons, she celebrates with me and cheers me on every step of the way. To me, it’s a BIG goal – a big achievement to have carried and pushed myself that far and I LOVE that my support system celebrates with me because if you don’t celebrate progress, you’ll never stay motivated to continue training. Ryan has also been a huge help with these moments – pushing himself through runs with me, helping me keep moving for time goals and being beyond happy when I’m excited about what I’m doing.

3- Stay focused, work hard and stay balanced. There are going to be tough days. I’m telling you now – in anything you do, there are always difficult moments. But it’s those moments that make you stronger and help you realize how far you’ve come. Stay strong and just remember to balance out everything you do – running is great but without my Pilates or weight work, I wouldn’t be as good of a runner. Just like everything in life – you need to spread your energy. And remember, bad runs (bad days) will come. But you are a better person for them. And a good day will always come along next. 

Even though we might not all be runners, I think these lessons echo true in so many facets of our lives. Whether it’s your business, your family life, your training or your crazy dreams – remember to believe in yourself and pride yourself on how far you’ve come! I’m here cheering you on!

XOXO,

Kristina