We all remember what life was like before we started a running or walking program. We would sleep in on Saturday or Sunday mornings. We would eat or drink anything we wanted every day of the week. We could stay out late with our non-running/walking friends, we never had to turn down an activity because “I’m doing a long run/walk in the morning”. We had a “life” and once we began our running or walking journey, “life” as we knew it changed, we made choices which had impact on our lifestyle and our wellness.
Here are some of the changes we noticed:
- Gone are the days when we could stay out “late” with friends. When the alarm clock goes off at “Zero Dark” you need to get to bed early.
- Saturday or Sunday morning became our “long” workout. Doesn’t matter if that means 4 miles or 14, weekends give us more time to get those miles in (and to go to breakfast with our peeps).
- If we are working out after work, we have to be mindful about what we are eating for lunch, like staying away from salad or pizza before a workout. Also making sure to have a healthy snack about an hour and a half before our workout.
- Different words and phrases started to creep into our vocabulary, PR’s, intervals, pace, 5k, 10k, half and full.
- The pile of shoes in our house now included shoes that provided motion control, stabilizer or neutral shoes, they are sometimes wild and colorful and we have multiple pairs to make sure that the ones we are currently working out with still have “miles” left on them.
- Our clothing includes wicking fabric, we always keep in mind that “cotton is rotten” and that we need to be aware of the “feels like temperature” and be ready to “layer up”
You all can probably add more to this list, but you do understand how “life” has changed.
The bottom line, our lives have changed and they have changed for the better. We may not hang so much with our non-running or walking friends anymore but we have a whole new set of peeps who “understand” what we are going through. We tend to eat better, sleep better and feel better. We have made a choice to be active, to do something for our health and wellness. We are taking care of ourselves.