Nut Up or Shut Up

Just do it.

That's what Sydney, my work best friend/trainer/task master told me about my five miles this week. "Just wake up and do it." I believe that was the phrase that was running through my head as I dragged myself out of bed this morning.

When I was finally ready for my run - Okay, I'm being dramatic, it only took me 40 minutes to get out of bed, hydrated, and dressed - I set out feeling apprehensive. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to push myself for the whole five miles. I didn't want to walk much, and I wanted to keep a good speed. I wanted to maybe even try a pick up.

Just after passing my first mile marker, I got hit with a tight cramp in my lower belly (basically my uterus, gross I know, but I'm a woman, it happens). I freaked out a little, I've had these types of cramps before, and they're never fun. Also, they pretty much make me feel like I'm going to die. I tried walking it out a bit, but it only got worse. So I tried jogging it out, and that didn't help either. Finally, I gave up. I thought "Cramps and jogging don't mix. Cramps, you win."

About a block after I turned around and started to head back, cramps dissapeared completely. It was like I was never in pain at all. I paused for a second, turned back around, and finished what I started.

I made my way as an easy pace to my halfway mark, and that's when it hit me: I had completely lost sight of why I was doing this all in the first place. It's not to be the best, it's not to gloat about my speed. It's to say I did it, and that I finished what I started. I realized that I had put pressure on myself to make every run the perfect run, when really, just doing it makes it the perfect run.

I have never been able to run a full mile (okay, maybe I was able to once in high school, but even then, I don't think so), and now I'm running a full three. Mission freaking accomplished man, everything else is just icing on the cake. Don't whine that it didn't go perfectly, or that you didn't push yourself as hard as you wanted to, or that you're running out of time.

Nut up or shut up, and just finish.