Throwback Thursday: Here’s to You. Yes, You.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know I’m training to run the Boston Marathon in April. (!!!!!!!!!) Most days I’m super pumped about it, but today’s tempo run kicked my @$$. It was a physical strain, yes — but more than that, today was a mental battle.

About halfway through, the negative thoughts drummed through my head:

There is no way I’m going to make it through another whole marathon.

Richmond [where I qualified] was a fluke. There’s no way I can do that again.

This is so hard. 

I started fighting back with myself at that last one:

It’s supposed to be hard, dammit. That’s the point of this workout.

I am stronger than I think I am. I’m doing better than I feel.

And then I almost threw up.

So I stopped.

And THEN I remembered seeing this:

“If you get tired, learn to rest, not quit.”

So, I gathered myself. And I started running the rest of the way in. Not as fast as I had been, and not as fast as I’d hoped to. But I gave myself a moment to rest, and I finished.

How about you? How are you doing today? If you’re struggling too, hang in there, okay? And in the meantime, here’s a throwback to one of my favorite (and shortest) posts:

Here’s to you. Yes, You.

Originally published July 14, 2015

Here’s to you, the one who got out of bed this morning. Who put on her big girl panties and drove to work. Who stayed home and made another. blessed. PB&J. Who got outside and ran one more mile. Who cleaned up somebody’s mess. Literally or figuratively. Again.

Here’s to you, the one who thinks she’s not making progress. That if she were, then things would feel easier by now. That she wouldn’t be so tired. Still. That she would just be somehow, some way, better.

Here’s to you, the one who forgets how far she’s actually come. That she has moved forward. That she’s still tired, NOT because she’s still so weak, but because she’s RUNNING FURTHER.

Here’s to you. The one who’s still showing up.

You’ve come further than you think.