Victory! Vic-tor-y !!!

The distance of 1 mile is 5 revolutions around the indoor track at our gym. I've never been able to jog 1/2 of a lap. I just can't breathe and I feel like I'm going to collapse. I always set out with such good intentions and perhaps its mental but at that 1/2 lap point, I start walking. I just can't do it.

Today I was crunched for time. I had exactly 50 minutes to work out and get in a quick 10 minute shower/dress and be back out the door to pick up B from lacrosse practice. I've been determined to get in 2 miles of jog/walk intervals for cardio. Today I made a deal with myself. If I could jog 1 mile straight, I'd only do 1 mile instead of 2. Being my worse critic, I had little faith in myself as I sure as heck had never even jogged 1/5 of a mile without stopping, let alone the entire mile. If I just jogged slowly and didn't stop....

Mind over matter. I'm no quitter.

I glanced up at the clock and made a mental note of the time. 'You can do this!', I told myself. I started off slowly and kept mentally chanting 'breathe, damn it, breathe!' over & over & over again.

I made it to my usual half lap point. 'Keep going', I told myself. 'No excuses, you're not going to die'.

Sweet mother, I made it all the way around one lap without stopping. I did it!

'Keep going, you can do this' and 'breathe, damn it, breathe!' played like a tape on repeat in my head.

Oh my goodness I made it around a 2nd time. Shockingly, I hadn't died yet.

2.5 laps down. I want to walk. But walking meant I had to walk 2 miles rather than jogging 1. There will be no walking. Keep going.

3 laps. I'm more than half way there. 3 laps! 3 laps!! I just jogged 3 laps without stopping or dying!!! Shut up, breathe and keep going.

4 laps, check the time. Oh my gosh, I'm really doing this. I picked up the pace a little so I could get in the best time possible for my 1st mile ever.

There was a man jogging 2 laps for my every 1 and we'd meet up in about the same spot. 'Overachiever', I thought as he kept passing me.

At 4.5 laps I was breathing hard, sweating and I thought my heart was going to burst from my chest. I will not quit now, hell no. Quitting is not an option. Keep going.

1 mile. I made it. I did it. I'd never run a half a lap before today and I just ran my first mile ever. EVER.

14 minutes & 33 seconds. My time to beat... because you can bet I'm going to do that again.

Mind over matter. I'm no quitter. I DID IT, I DIDN'T QUIT!!!!