Re-starting: Is it worth it?

I’ve been a recreational runner for a while. And injury has sidelined my participation for frustratingly long periods of time. Recently though I’ve competed in a few 5Ks.  Some of you remember that I signed up for the Sloth Team 5K during the summer. I completed it, some would say, at a sloth’s pace. But I did it! Early November I participated in the Run for Veterans, delighted to be cheered on by friends who came out early on a chilly morning to stand at mile markers waiting for me to appear! And what’s more festive than starting your Thanksgiving Day running a Turkey Trot early on a frosty morning?

So, here’s the topic I would like to throw out today:  Re-starting. When you’ve been away from something you’ve enjoyed in the past, in some ways it feels harder to return than if you’d never done it before. For example, I remember running this distance before at a faster easier pace. I was younger. Now I have fewer peers and friends participating. It’s early! It’s cold! There are hills!

I was a little nervous because of the challenging terrain – some might call them hills, yet I remembered to have fun! I reminded myself that I know how to breathe, to pace myself. And I finished, midpoint among my age group, but that’s less important than DOING IT. Going back to something brings forth recollection of how it used to be and inevitable comparison – Ugh! I didn’t let that stop me. These events represent fun, camaraderie and enough challenge to spark friendly competition among a few hundred friends in the running community!

Starting again can be tough because we’ve been there and done that and felt success and exhilaration when we set our goals and then achieved them. We forget that when we were newbies, we were breathless, our muscles were tight, and we were straining to keep up with the pack.

So I congratulated myself on accepting my performance where it is NOW and reminded myself that effort, persistence and patience motivate us to keep showing up. And I felt no guilt in savoring a generous slice of mouthwatering pie for dessert! Joy!