Last night a friend of mine called asking for a ride. He had gotten pretty sick earlier that day and needed to fetch his car that was still downtown from work. No problem, I was more than happy to help out. At the time I was at the grocery store, so I quickly checked out, took my groceries home and headed over to pick him up. Before heading over though, I switched into my running clothes just in case.
I must have figured that if he was too sick to drive earlier in the day, I didn't want him behind the wheel heading home after a day of being sick. I knew the distances between where we needed to go was right around a 10k, so no sweat. I figured I would just run it and get my car after taking him home. At the time I didn't really think anything of it. I figured it was the easiest way to get everything that needed to happen done, while impacting the least number of possible (AKA letting Ellie get her work done as opposed to driving around for a while).
It occurred to me this morning that though it seemed like a relatively simple solution at the time, it was perhaps the most pure evidence to date that a fundamental shift in my thought process has occurred. I have gone from the belief that working out is a horrible necessity in my journey to lose weight, to now believing that working out is another tool in my arsenal to get things done. Run six miles to get my car? Clearly that's the most logical conclusion to our problem. I didn't think of it as a workout, just something that had to happen.
Ding!
I like being able to cover a decent amount of distance when called upon. It was great confirmation that there are many benefits to being in good shape. There is more to it than just trying to feel and look better. I am able to do more and contribute more. I have the energy to set out at 10:00 pm for an hour run. I'm no longer tied to the couch at night, nor do I requiring a car to get to where I need to be. It is kind of liberating really.
I guess in conclusion, I saw a glimpse of a bigger picture last night. I realized that working out and training is more than just about racing and PR's and good health. It is about adding another skill to your list of things you can do to accomplish all of your goals, no matter what they are.
I love this! And I totally hear ya. I was getting stuck in the rut of my weekly running routine, so now I’ve started to meet people ON FOOT. Tonight I’m meeting my boyfriend for dinner, and I’m planning on making a journey out of it and running there. I’ll park my car at the local park and take the long way there, without mapping it. I don’t know where I’m going, how far, or the best way to get there, but I have to figure it out. It’s kind of fun! -H (iamlyons.com)
I think having a destination in mind, rather then doing some sort of loop back is a huge help mentally. Knowing there is something at the end waiting is great motivation!
Thanks for stopping in!
What a great shift in perspective! I’m sure your friend really appreciated your help, too!