i strongly dislike running...but am open to the possibility of liking it..day #6

Weight: 164 lbs
Goal: 140-145lbs
Difference: 19lbs-24lbs
Distance: 7.0k 1 hour (Ran- 40 minutes/Walk- 20 minutes)

After taking a few days of much needed rest due to a minor injury to my right knee, I woke up this morning anxious to hit the seawall for my now 'usual' Monday run. I knew todays run would be a challenge, for today would be first time I would be running alone. After suiting up (and realizing I left my Ipod at work) I made my way downstairs and began my warm up jaunt down to the seawall. I found myself being more conscious of my breath and the positioning of my joints on top of one another. I stopped at the shore to stretch out my legs and let the little voice in my head get all its 'logical' reasoning (for me not to run) of its chest; No one would know if I walked an extra minute, or if i turned around early, or if i just quit now and go back to bed...after all i am going to do yoga today...i'll eat well...maybe i'll just walk today..

After the 'stories' subsided I started running, with no music and no excuses, just the sound of my breath. As I started my first kilometer I started to notice some familiar faces jogging towards me, most shared that welcoming smile seawall runners seem to have (which I admit made a piece of me feel like I was becoming part of their world). As I continued I started to think about how running was a lot like yoga. I started remembering my first class and how I was confused and watched my body find anyway to make it easier because I was so afraid to challenge myself. I remembered about how once I learned how to breath I became so much lighter. So that's what I did. I treated running like yoga today. I focussed, I smiled, I modified if I needed to but made sure I challenged myself when I could. I set small realistic goals and pushed myself to my limits to get there. I still almost stepped on 3 birds and a squirrel, but more importantly I didn't let that little voice win.

More to come