Starting Again, Gently

I’m back! While I ended up taking a few weeks off I was reminded that progress doesn’t have to be rushed, especially when I’m in it for the long game!

This time I took what I learned through my rest, and I decided to ease back in instead of trying to pick up where I left off.

The day I planned my first run back, it was raining, but I was determined, so rather than skip the run I decided to experiment with longer running intervals( 2 min each) but a shorter overall run. It ended up being incredibly refreshing!

A few days later, I reached a new milestone.

While I had no goal going into the run I did decide that since I was able to run for 2 min blocks of time I knew I could easily do 1 min increments so I I completed ten rounds of one minute running and one minute walking—for a total of 10 minutes of running. I felt great! Wow - for someone like my friend who does Ultra Marathons 10 minutes is laughable -for me it was everything - I was glowing!!!

I finished with my usual cooldown walk, brain retraining, tapping, declarations, and visualization, and couldn’t wait to get out there again.

Today, I was planning to play some pickleball but when I woke up I just felt like spending more time with Miss Coconut & going for a run, it just sounded more fun and I know to follow my satisfaction. While strapping up my shoes, I caught an old familiar pattern creeping in—the voice that wanted to know if today should be the day I did more than ten minutes. But I caught myself and pivoted…

I reminded myself that growth doesn’t have to mean constant increases. I had consciously chosen to rebuild this running practice slowly, steadily, and without urgency, and that is what I will do! I knew if I ran ten minutes again it would be awesome. And, if my body wanted less, that would be OK too.

Then, during my run, another old pattern surfaced.I noticed myself scanning my body, looking for signs that something might be wrong. As I walked between intervals, I used those moments to interrupt the pattern and reconnect with what I knew to be true.

Then I had an unexpected realization while cooling down…. Just like I had been comparing my strength training experience to years ago, I’d been comparing how my body feels now to previous times I’d “gotten back into shape.” But this was so silly because most other times in my life I missed a few months here or there at best, while this break from running was 8 years!!!!

Of course my body feels different, and this realization is HUGE. It takes so much fear away because I know now that of course this is a normal body going through normal shifts when faced with a new demand after extended time off.

I finished my ten rounds feeling grateful, energized, and excited and then I stopped to cool down, because the promise was slow and steady. There will be plenty of time to build more capacity.

Right now, I’m learning that recovery, patience, and consistency are every bit as important as the running itself.The goal isn’t to see how quickly I can improve.The goal is to create a running practice that I genuinely love—and one that I can enjoy for years to come.

A few reflections for you...

• Have you ever realized you were comparing your current season of life to a version of yourself with completely different circumstances?

• Where might patience create more lasting progress than pushing harder?

• What’s one old pattern you’ve noticed lately that you’re learning to replace with something kinder?

I’d love to hear your reflections. ❤️