Oh, What a Year......

    One thing that so many people fear is Change. As much as we all want to run from it, it always seems to catch up with us. Sitting down today to read and reflect over the last blog I wrote a year ago definitely brought me full circle with the impact of Change. Firstly, I was astonished that I let a whole year go by without writing a single blog. To be honest, this entire year was a whirlwind and I am finally beginning to catch my balance. When I graduated last July, I made a big commitment to myself. I had already fell madly in love with running (Re-reading my previous blogs definitely brought that to light again) But I made a commitment to take all of the extra time that I wouldn't be pouring into research papers, exams and assignments and focus it on my health and fitness. (Fully commit for one FULL year) 

 

    One month after I made the commitment to my health, I joined Energy Sports & Fitness. I already owned a treadmill at home and had made major progress in weight loss but joining Energy really helped me grow my fitness goals. I knew as soon as I walked in that it wouldn't be an easy journey but it was going to be a fulfilling journey. And that it has. One of the many favorite things I loved about Energy when I joined is that there is a room completely dedicated to Cardio and guess what...it is dark! Up until now, I had always ran alone and completely in my own zone, the last thing I wanted was to be bothered by anybody in a public gym. So for a solid 3 months, I ran in the dark cardio room. I loved it and I could still stay completely focused on going the distance. Although my dedication to running was impressive, I eventually hit a big plateau and found myself growing extremely discouraged. I knew that in order to progress, I was going to have to venture out of the cardio room and onto the equipment. At first, I had no structure what-so-ever. It was kind of comedic actually. I would start upper body, switch to lower, sometimes venture back to upper. I mean, whatever I felt like doing I did. Luckily, I got a little help and eventually was able to develop somewhat of a routine.
    One year later, I have to tell you....I am completely lost without the gym. My friends and family joke about me needing an intervention because I can not go a day without.  Honestly, I probably DO need an intervention and I recognize that BUT the craziest thing is....it is the 1 thing that has kept me grounded. Everything in life can feel completely chaotic when I walk in the gym, but I always walk out of there feeling renewed. I definitely do not run like I used to and reading over my old blogs has opened up my eyes to what I truly fell in love with, before I had a gym. I have realized that running was what started my journey and I will never abandon it again.

The most important thing I took away from my commitment to my health is: it is not a year long but a lifetime long commitment.