Running with Pixie Dust

So even though I was irritatingly close to making it all six miles, after the little problem with the car and being forced to jump into knee high snow in a desperate attempt to find the sidewalk, I decided to call it a day.  And I'll be honest... I was pissed off.  I really angry and really frustrated.  I was mad at the snow for making the whole run harder than it needed to be, I was mad at the ice for making me fall, I was mad at the pickup truck for drenching me in disgusting water... and most of all, I was mad that I didn't get to the six mile mark.

But then I took a long, hot shower and I thought about it - by being so upset and focusing on all the negative aspects of that run, who was I hurting?  Myself.  Did my anger make any difference to the snow, the ice, or the guy driving the pickup?  Absolutely not.  So I decided to take one of the gifts that Weight Watchers has given me and use it: Reframing.  Reframing is one of our "Tools for Living," and though I'm taking it out of its original context here, I think it is a fabulous tool.  The very basic idea is that you take a problem and look at it in a different way so as to find a better solution than the one you had.  So I looked at the run, reframed it, and came back with a much better version.

Instead of seeing it as "the run was really hard, I got soaked in water and was cold, I slipped and fell, and I didn't make it all six miles," I decided to see it as something positive.  The run was really hard, but I did it.  I didn't make it all six miles, but I made it five miles, which is five more miles than many people ran today.  I wouldn't have been able to run five miles just a few years ago.  Actually, I wouldn't have been able to run five miles just a few months ago, and today I ran five miles and I knew that I could do more.  There were physical stresses put on me in those five miles, but I kept going.  Yes, I was wet, cold, and uncomfortable, but I kept running.  Yes, I slipped and fell, and maybe I even cried a little (it hurt!), but I kept running.  Yes, the snow made every step harder and the ice made every step more dangerous, but I kept running.  This run was not a botched tempo run, but a learning experience, because today I learned that I am have the physical, mental, and emotional strength to get back up when I have fallen, brush myself off, and keep going.  So instead of seeing this run as a failure, I get the opportunity to see it as a tremendous achievement.  What an incredible blessing for Christmas Eve.

Go read about the beautiful Amylee's tremendous achievement - she ran a crazy fast 5K today and got a new PR!  I am constantly inspired by her.