Training for the Goal

I'm a runner. I'm a runner because I've been running every day for a week straight. 

Is this really true? Are you "something" because you just started doing it?  Can you decide that you are a painter by painting one picture? Or decide you are a musician because you played the guitar for five minutes?

I'm sure those who are reading this right now who actually are runners, painters, or musicians would say a huge resounding "NO!" Why is this? What makes you "something?"

Dedication. Time invested. Passion.

You can't have all of that stuff if you've barely begun doing something. It's just not possible. So what CAN you say? Can you say that you are "practicing" to BECOME  runner? or BECOME a painter? or BECOME a musician? ABSOLUTELY! You aren't something just because you say you are. You're something because you've put in the time and effort and dedication to it.

This year I have decided to improve my fitness by running and working out. I've have been run/walking at least a mile every day for the past week. It's been a struggle and a challenge since day one, but I'm training hard. My goal is to eventually run a 5K, which is roughly about 3.5 miles. The rec center where I have been running at has an amazing track on the top floor. The first day was really discouraging. I ran one lap and was winded and out of breath and quite frankly I wanted to just throw in the towel right then and say "I'm no good at this! How could I possibly get any better?!?"

I didn't though. I walked a lap and then ran a lap and continued in that fashion for about 8 laps. I believed firmly that each lap was a quarter mile and as the week progressed I was able to go from one lap to two laps and today, a week later, I ran four consecutive laps in a row. I was absolutely elated. I felt such a HUGE sense of accomplishment and was so happy I almost cried.

Then I found out from a member of the staff that one lap...was only 1/8th of a mile. My poor little heart just sank and that feeling of accomplishment started to dwindle. I had worked so hard!

I had lost sight of the fact that I was IMPROVING by HUGE strides. Even though it wasn't a mile, in one week I went from running one very winded and exhausted lap to running four consecutive laps without feeling winded at all. That's a major accomplishment and I'm still training. Just because I've worked at running for a little bit doesn't mean that I'm going to become a runner overnight! I have to put in the time and effort and dedication first.