About a year ago I told you I was starting a running program. My daughter wanted to run a half marathon and she wanted me to do it with her. If you are a parent, you know that when your teenage daughter asks you to do anything with her, you say yes.
I said yes, and got off to a roaring start. I think I ran maybe four times before I decided to put my “training” on hold for a while.
Jordan, my daughter, started to panic. About once a month, she’d say to me, “Mom, we are going to run this half together, right???” I’d come back with a logical answer like, “Yes, but you don’t want to wear your body out by peaking too soon.”
Finally, I drew a starting line in the sand and vowed to begin running at the end of August when the kids went back to school. On the eve of the first day, while they were laying out school clothes and figuring out who they had in all of their classes, I downloaded the free Nike running app. I put in my goal (the Disney Half-Marathon) and the date (January 12, 2019). Magically, the app put together a training plan that was just my speed. It must have included more than a little pixie dust, because I have actually been following the plan.
Yesterday, I reached a milestone. 100 miles. Seriously. Me, the non-runner, who hates to sweat or sparkle or whatever workout enthusiasts call it, ran 100 miles.
I have the proof.
The thing is, I didn’t do it all in one day, or even in one month. I laced up my shoes 61 times before I got to the 100 mile mark.
I’m so glad I did because it taught me a powerful lesson. Big things happen when we put a bunch of little things together.
Want to have a healthy bank account? Start saying no to those pesky things that keep jumping in your cart.
Want to see a different number on the scale? Start saying yes to the broccoli.
Want to create a more loving environment in your home? Start asking your people about the kindness they saw throughout the day.
It’s common sense that a bunch of little good decisions will produce a mountain of good results, but I get impatient. How about you? I want the reward today. Running taught me that it’s okay to be uncomfortable. It’s okay to have days when you’re not quite as strong as others.
Keep putting your shoes on. Take the first step and you’ll never imagine just how far you can go.
