you may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. in fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.
maya angelou
welp, i signed up for my very first running training program?! i figured why not try it out and focus on trying to improve my shorter distance times, while also meeting some new people. while there are a ton of training programs out there, i decided on track shack’s five and dime program which focuses on speed, strength, and conditioning through track workouts, running drills, tempo training and hill runs. honestly, i was sold at track workouts as i tend to think of myself as more of a quick shorter distance runner – i think a lot of that comes from gymnastics. and last night was my very first training session.
now you’re probably wondering, why the quote about perseverance to lead off the post? well, let’s just say my first training session did not go as intended. not because i wasn’t prepared, but sometimes previous injuries tend to flare up at the worst possible time. that’s exactly what happened last night – and sometimes you need a good quote to put things into perspective.
now because it was our first session, our main task was to complete a mile time trail to see which group we’d be placed in. and after our mile warmup, drills and stretches – i knew my knee didn’t feel right. however, i wanted to push through (former athlete tendency)…but my body felt very differently. after the first 400 meters, i had to take a step to the side and not complete the time trail as i felt my knee swelling up a lot more than normal (with some pain to go along with it). talk about a huge disappointment. i was so excited for the training, and as anyone, i was just personally upset that i couldn’t complete the task. but after thinking about my disappointment last night and into the morning, i realized that i can’t be so tough on myself. my body has been through a lot over the years with competitive athletics, and sometimes you can’t have your way…even if mentally you are fully prepared. and i think that important for everyone to realize. at the end of the day, i just want to be dedicated to something and have fun in the process. sometimes i tend to lose sight of that, especially in these moments.
so if you had a tough workout, day, or moment – know that we will always encounter defeats. however, it’s how we bounce back that counts. i know after yesterday, i cannot wait for my next training session tomorrow. maybe it’s a little internal redemption to prove – “hey you can have a bad day, but this time it’s going to be better.” and i definitely know it will be.
a huge thank you to the coaches of five and dime, cannot wait to see what this program has in store.
until next time
xoxo
kpmoments 