It's the Climb

The number 16:54 probably doesn't hold any significance to anyone, whatsoever. However, as of about 20 minutes ago, it now holds a huge amount of significance to me. It is my fastest running pace yet. I know, it's not the best or the fastest, but it's my best, and to be honest with you, that's all that really matters.

My average pace at the beginning of this journey was 21:37. That number is pretty embarrassing, but knowing that I have improved my pace by almost 5 minutes in only 3 months, makes the embarrassment much more tolerable!

People really are right when they say "It doesn't matter how fast you do it, it matters that you did it at all," and even though my starting pace was over 21 minutes, it still beats my previous pace, which was... no pace. I never start a run with the goal of beating my previous pace. I just do what I normally do, how I normally do it, and as my fitness level increases, my pace inevitably gets better. Now, that is not to say that I don't get unbelievably, overly excited when I hear the MapMyRun robot tell me my time has improved.

Moments like this are what makes this journey worthwhile. I've have even noticed myself enjoying and smiling during my runs on several occasions. In the words of the 16-year-old, pre-ratchet version of a celebrity who goes by the name Miley Cyrus, "Ain't about how fast I get there/Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side/It's the climb."

Will I ever run a 5k? Probably. Will I ever run a marathon? Probably not. I have learned to enjoy running, but right now, the thought of running 26.2 miles in one session is completely and totally overwhelming to me. Running is something I got back into to lose weight, but not only did I want to lose weight, I wanted to also be a better version of myself mentally, and tonight, I feel like I am starting to accomplish that.

Cheers to being 49 pounds down, exercising, and many, many more smiles!