Today I wanted to finish up my running advice with my number one reason why I think I love running: Control.
People ask my how I lost the weight all the time. When they hear that I’m a boxer, they make a certain face. When they hear that I run…..A LOT…..they also make a certain face. I know everyone who has ever asked me “How did you lose the weight?” wants to hear, “I just woke up like this one morning….” But the truth is, it was a lot of hard and sweaty work. Over the last 2-3 years, I couldn’t even count how many people have asked for my advice or help. But in all that time, in all those conversations……I know maybe 5 people on a weight loss or fitness journey. The truth is, 98% of people that ask me about it aren’t going to do a damn thing. It took me a long time to realize, I couldn’t control this. I had to learn to give out free advice with no expectations. Example conversation from real life:
Coworker: I just love your arms! What kind of weights do you do?
Me: I actually do all body weight exercises. For my arms I do pull ups. Lots and lots of pull ups because that what’s in my training routine.
Coworker: Oh. I could never do a pull up.
Me: It took me almost 6 months of trying everyday, but I can do them now! I’m sure you could do it if you put the time in.
Coworker: Yeah. I’ll never be able to do that.
And…….she never did a pull up. When people hear how much work it was for me to change my whole life, 98% are not willing to put the work in. It was not easy. It took good decisions every single day and forgiveness when I made bad decisions. It took overhauling my whole life. But every once in a while, I think I help inspire someone to change their life. This used to really bother me because of my control issues. I used to think it was something about me that discouraged them from trying. Maybe they didn’t see a big enough difference? Maybe I didn’t say it in the right way? Maybe if I…………but it really comes down to:
If you wanted to, you would.
Control is something I struggle with in most areas of my life. It is hard for me to feel out of control and I love feeling like the puppetmaster of my life. I carry this into my workouts too. When I run, I know that I’m in control of everything about that run and about my life, even if just for a few miles.
I can control my breathing, time, distance, music…….When I set out to go 5 miles, I go 5 miles. It makes me feel accomplished every single time. While there are always some elements that you can’t control: weather, traffic, stop lights, geese, sprinklers……. I love the feeling of controlling my body. With experience, you learn to run at your most efficient. I know when my body and mind are working like a machine and I love that feeling. It really is just me and the road.
In the beginning of my running, I thought I had to have certain music, clothes, headphones, etc. and I kind of did. In order to zone, I couldn’t think about anything else. Not my wedgie, my headphone wires bouncing around, my sunglasses slipping down my nose…..Nothing! Nothing could be a distraction or I just wanted to stop. But now I know how far I can go and how my body should be feeling with each mile. I can control the speed a little more without giving a ton of effort. I know how my body feels when it runs and my body loves to run. Yesterday, I went for 8 miles with Dan. It was a great run down the cherry creek path and through parts of downtown Denver. So I figured I shouldn’t run today to rest my legs but then after my usual boxing workout, I still didn’t feel right. My emotions felt ……stuck and I just couldn’t get in the flow of the day. So I decided to run a mile or two. Well…three miles later I felt like myself. For some reason my body and mind wanted to run today and my legs needed the stretch.
So my point is this: Running makes me feel like I’m in control of my emotions, stress, energy and basically……..life! Every run is a commitment to myself that I keep. If you can’t keep commitments to yourself, why would you for anyone else?