Your Mind Must Say Yes

I did something amazing this past week! I got on a treadmill and ran 1.2 miles.  That's the first time that has ever happened.  It all started with a challenge.  Jennifer, my co-worker (and subscriber to this blog) is currently training to run in an upcoming marathon.  We tend to work out at the same time in the evenings, where I get updates on her progress.  Well, over a week ago, she challenged me to match the minutes that she runs in miles.  She was up to 12 miles and that meant I had to run 12 minutes.  As I heard the words coming out of her mouth, I found myself nodding and accepting that challenge.  By the time I got to my car, I was wondering what I had just agreed to.  I had never run over 2 minutes on the treadmill. Yikes!  But something inside of me reassured me that I needed that challenge to push past my comfort zone...past my fears and step up to a new level of activity.

Well almost everyday until this past Wednesday, I tried to prepare for this challenge.  I agreed that I had to break up my run into intervals of running/walking. I ran three minutes/walked a minute...three more minutes, then walked a minute, then I did my last three minutes.  When I was actually on the treadmill, with my personal trainer beside me and Jennifer in front of me telling me to keep going and stop looking at the time on the treadmill. I had to keep thinking "I can do this!" My body was praying for it to be over. I could hear them both, as well as other familiar voices in the room, encouraging me.  For a moment I had a flashback of Henry Ford Hospital in the labor and delivery room when my son was born.  Just like then, I felt surrounded by  a cheering squad telling me to push and breathe.  When it was all said and done, I reached my time on the treadmill and there was that similar joy that mothers have when they realize the worst of labor is over and they have a beautiful baby to show for all of the pain, sweat and tears.  At that moment, I was just happy that I didn't have to run another second, coupled with the excitement of knowing I actually did it!  

Since then, I've come to realize that I wasn't limited physically from running.  I had been working out for over a year and building myself up all this time, but I was being held back by the limitations I set in my mind when it came to running.  That's the key.  I just have to take the limits off my mind.  So this week, I've gotta meet my new challenge.  Fifteen minutes on the treadmill this Wednesday.  I welcome the challenge once again.  I'll be back next week to report how that goes.  What will you challenge yourself to achieve this week?  I'll be happy to have you share it with me.