Breaking out of my comfort zone and getting a little more personal here on the blog. Hoping to start sharing a little more of me on here in between recipes!
Running and I have a love/hate relationship. Taking a break from running for a full month really opened my eyes to intuitive movement.
Growing up I hated doing training runs for sports. I could run all day on the field, but when I was told to just go for a training run, I felt like I was carrying bricks on my feet and mentally I hated counting down the miles and minutes to go on a run.
When my team sports came to an end, I need something to keep me motivated so I signed up for a 5k. This is when I started loving running. Signing up for a race gave me a challenge. I followed a training schedule to keep me on track. 5k’s turned to 10k’s then half marathons. I became the cardio queen.
I was burned out. I haven’t signed up for a race in a year and my runs have been sporadic.
Early August I had planned to go for a run in the park and honestly was dreading it. I just didn’t feel like running. I know physically right I am not in the running condition I used to be in and mentally I know it would cause me to feel frustrated if I wasn’t able to run the distance and pace I was aiming for. But THAT’S OKAY! Instead of feeling defeated and not exercising at all, I popped on my headphones and listened to one of my new favorite podcasts, Food Psych, and this episode featuring the awesome Kylie Mitchell.
If you never listened to Food Psych before, it’s a podcast about intuitive eating and breaking away from diet culture. As I listened to the podcast as I was walking along a trail on a beautiful summer afternoon and a light bulb went on in my head when Kylie mentioned intuitive movement.
I light bulb turned on in my head. Why was I trying to force myself to run? My mind and body were obviously trying to tell me something. This month, I took a break from running completely and was active in other ways.
I changed my membership at the gym to include classes and been trying out different ones which has been fun! I enjoy being surrounded by others. Running alone can be soothing, but also very isolating. I was excited to check out the gym schedule each week to try new classes.
Instead of running:
I took spin classes.
I’ve been going for long walks listening to podcasts.
I’ve done some YouTube yoga videos and no equipment workouts in the comfort of my own apartment.
I took some weight training classes and felt muscles that I haven’t felt feeling worked or challenged in awhile.
Adrian and I went on a mini vacation, which was filled with active activities like hiking and kayaking.
Honestly, I exercised more this month and I felt great. The old me would have been telling myself that I should be going for a run. I should run 5 miles today. I should aim to maintain a certain pace. But that’s not what I wanted. I want to move my body in a way makes me feel great physically and mentally. Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do.
Will I run again? Probably, but I’ve learned a lot about myself and the joy of intuitive movement this month.
What movement makes you happy?
I so believe in joyful movemnet. You don’t HAVE to do anything. Listen to your body and do what it wants to do. It’s much more enjoyable that wya.
Thank you Julie for a powerful post. I run a mile most days but honestly LOVE the quiet reflection of walking instead in the morning.
Thank you Cindy! It was definitely breaking out of my comfort zone to write a post like this, but I feel like so many can benefit from this as well. Move how your body wants to 🙂
So much insight shared in this article, Julie! I hit a similar point with running (and I self-identify as a RUNNER) and needed a change. I started a new membership at a gym with 30-minute boot camp classes and it is so much fun! It was just what I needed to feel refreshed and I’m glad you’re feeling that way, too! You look happy and strong and I’m sure you banked some great memories at the same time 🙂
Great story, lady! Thanks for sharing – if you find yourself dreading doing something its so good to step back and reflect on WHY. You look so happy in these pics : )