"It's easy to feel overwhelmed and lose hope when you're not seeing a change on the scale. Especially when you're limited on time, money and energy."
In August 2012 i decided to register for a marathon training class at the University of Utah. Up until that time the longest run i had ever done was five miles; a run i had completed while serving a mission in North Carolina. My mission president always ran five miles every morning, and i really admired that.....so i made it a goal to run five miles at least once before heading home. So naturally on the Saturday before leaving from NC to UT, I got up at 4am and ran the five miles. Prior to my mission I did a little bit of track in junior high school (ran the 400) but that was it. I was more into basketball than running. Still kind of am.
So back to this marathon class. It started at 7am every Tuesday and Thursday and was a hour and a half long. I took the class thinking it would be a great way to get fit, and since the class was less than two hours long it didn't seem too intimidating. I told myself, "How much running can we really do for an hour and a half?" The first day of class our running instructor asked each of use to explain to the other runners why we loved running and why we elected to sign up for the class. When it was my turn to speak I said something like, "I'm not really sure why i'm in this class because I'm not a runner, but maybe i'll learn to like it?"
For the rest of the semester I got up at 5am every Tuesday and Thursday morning just so i could be up at the U by 7am. It was surprisingly fun. I got to rub shoulders with people who were preparing for actual marathons, and I noticed how much healthier, happier and less stressed i was feeling day to day. I was right. We only ran about 3-5 miles each class. So it wasn't that bad at all. Since that time however, I haven't stopped running.
In January 2013 i joined the Salt Lake City Track Club. "The Salt Lake City Track Club is an athletic organization that provides for the association of persons interested in personal health and wellness through the activity of running. The Club's primary focus is distance running, but all types of runners are welcome" (SLCTC).
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| Not the best photo of me, but "image is nothing, thirst is everything" right? |
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| My red pants are visible between the orange and neon guys. |
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| This guy beautifully illustrates the 15k blizzard. |
I would definitely recommend the Winter Series to anyone. It's a great way to start the year off right whatever your fitness goals are. Even if you're not much of a runner it's really fun to participate. They had people from all ages, shapes, and sizes. There was even a guy doing the race in a wheelchair. I'm planning on doing it again next year.
So what in the world am I doing with this "Legit and Fit" blog?? Awhile ago I lost a lot of weight by eating right and going to the gym, but when I was done I got bored. Which of course meant...I was slowly gaining the weight back. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and lose hope when you're not seeing a change on the scale. Especially when you're limited on time, money and energy. So now I'm trying to focus on fitness accomplishments; the doing, not the becoming. This mentality has a peacefulness to it. I highly recommend the same mentality to anyone else trying to stay fit. As long as you are progressing you can have peace of mind that you are improving. If you maintain that peace of mind? Then you'll become what you're hoping to become.
When I was in High School I came up with the quote, "Without love there is no hope. Without hope there is no progress. Without progress life is wasted." I have found this to be true in my life. Love makes you feel valued. If you don't love yourself and others, the purpose and meaning behind your life can fade. I find that i am the most hopeful for the future when I feel love for myself and others. Then as i hope for the future i get more things done and I progress.
So from now on, each blog post will either be about love, hope, or progress. The progress portion? I hope to focus more on fitness achievements and goals. Love and hope will probably get more on the spiritual/mental side. Overal, my goal is to help motivate and inspire myself, and hopefully others at the same time. Thanks for listening. Future posts won't be so long.
Salt Lake City Track Club." Salt Lake City Track Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.
So what in the world am I doing with this "Legit and Fit" blog?? Awhile ago I lost a lot of weight by eating right and going to the gym, but when I was done I got bored. Which of course meant...I was slowly gaining the weight back. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and lose hope when you're not seeing a change on the scale. Especially when you're limited on time, money and energy. So now I'm trying to focus on fitness accomplishments; the doing, not the becoming. This mentality has a peacefulness to it. I highly recommend the same mentality to anyone else trying to stay fit. As long as you are progressing you can have peace of mind that you are improving. If you maintain that peace of mind? Then you'll become what you're hoping to become.
When I was in High School I came up with the quote, "Without love there is no hope. Without hope there is no progress. Without progress life is wasted." I have found this to be true in my life. Love makes you feel valued. If you don't love yourself and others, the purpose and meaning behind your life can fade. I find that i am the most hopeful for the future when I feel love for myself and others. Then as i hope for the future i get more things done and I progress.
So from now on, each blog post will either be about love, hope, or progress. The progress portion? I hope to focus more on fitness achievements and goals. Love and hope will probably get more on the spiritual/mental side. Overal, my goal is to help motivate and inspire myself, and hopefully others at the same time. Thanks for listening. Future posts won't be so long.
Salt Lake City Track Club." Salt Lake City Track Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.