Friday Feelings: TGIF I am Running!

Inspiration, motivation, and Friday Feelings for Women in Sports and Female Entrepreneurs

TGIF morning greeted me for the first time with a glimmer – maybe even a sliver – of sunshine in our rather cloudy winter. The shine was enough to motivate me to stretch, grab my trusty sneakers and iPods, and get outside before the clouds overtook the light. It was Friday too – when that extra weekend energy boils in one’s veins.

My training schedule for the St. Patrick’s Day NYC Half Marathon encouraged me to run a 5-6 miler today to stay on track with my training. As soon as the first breath of clean air hit my lungs, I knew it was going to be my day to run. Sometimes running is easy, other days hard. In less than five minutes, I knew it was going to be a good day.

Could my positive attitude come from the small amount of sunlight? Or the fact I didn’t run the day before so I had lots of energy built up? Or the fact it was Friday with an exciting weekend on hand? Maybe, just maybe, it was because running is not a chore for me, but rather a gift, a pleasure, a happy part of my day, that I give to myself.

Thank God I don’t run to lose weight because no matter how long or hard I run, I don’t lose weight. Chalk it up to my genes or being 59 or maybe eating a bit too much pizza, which also brings me pleasure. I run because it feels good. It makes me feel strong. It lightens my mood.

It doesn’t mean some days aren’t hard, or tough on my aging knees and hips, or painful because I “have to” add on mileage to train for another half marathon. But when I do my cool down walk to the end of the pier on the lake that I run next to and the endorphins hit, I’m so very proud of myself and my attitude for getting out there and pushing through.

Silver linings – and even sunny slivers of light – are sometimes all we need to inspire us to do better, be healthier, and feel good. It shouldn’t be the first day of a new year that inspires us to run or exercise, it should be about the feeling it brings in the end.