I am not a runner. That’s what I’ve always said. I’ve tried it in college, and truly, I hated it. And of course I did, I was out of shape. Everything seems harder when you’re out of shape. I even tried it three years ago and could barely run 0.3 miles. My chest was hurting and everything…maybe I’m exaggerating a little but it was definitely uncomfortable. That was the first and last time, until now.

Ever since I’ve overcome my issues with exercise, as discussed in this post here, I have been going to the gym 2-3 times a week for the last four months. Getting my heart rate up and getting my body moving has really made a difference in my ability to be more active overall. At the request of Terrell, I decided to run with him one evening. And to my surprise, I ran over 1.5 miles! Much more than I did three years ago (particularly because I had allowed myself to become active). Afterward, not only was I proud of myself, I also felt an urge to run again. And did so the following week. By myself! Now i’m looking at workout clothes to get more into it. A friend of mine went to click here to get themselves some stuff for it before, so maybe I will too. But the ride never ends!

To my surprise, I’ve learned 3 things about running as a beginner:

Setting a goal is important…sometimes
In beginning to run, I had no specific overarching goal in mind. It was only to run. I figured I’d try something different and bond with my husband. The goal of running a mile came up, and it came from Terrell, not me. That was helpful in allowing me to see how far I could go. However, just getting out there was enough for me. Sometimes all you need is to do something, anything, out of your comfort zone.

It really IS your mind
When I went running by myself, internally I kept hearing, “Brooke, just stop,” over and over again. I could not believe how that voice kept trying to get me to quit! It became annoying. I even yelled back internally, “shut the f– up!” Yes, I cursed and everything, lol. I had to silence that voice. What became louder was, “if I could just make it a mile,” “if I could just make it half way around this building,” “if I could just make it to that street.” Having positive self-talk, believing in myself and pushing myself was so important. Otherwise, I would have not known that I could make it 1.84 miles.

Support and accountability are important
Knowing that I have people in my corner who support me in this exercise journey, from cheering me on, to saying they will do it with me, has been amazing. It makes it easier for me to keep going and not give up so easily as I would have in the past. I also find myself wanting to hold myself accountable and desiring to maintain momentum (something that doesn’t always happen so easily without support and accountability).

Who knew I would learn something from something I once hated – and even kind of enjoy it. Of course I would, I believe there is a lesson in everything. And these lessons, fortunately, are ones worth learning for running and more.

Do you exercise regularly? What have you learned in your journey? Tell us below!