I love this — not only is the bunny rabbit overwhelmingly cute, but the sentiment really speaks to me. Like so many of us, I tend to look ahead and ahead and ahead. Always scheming and plotting about how to improve. Get faster, do better, go further.
But you know what? I feel awesome about where I am right now. The Niagara Falls Women’s Half Marathon on Sunday was a total blast. And I hit a personal best without even planning for it or expecting it.
When I got home from Niagara, I had a nap and felt awesome. My post-race recovery came and went without my even noticing, really. The day after the event, I walked to and from work — 5K each way — and felt strong and solid on my legs.
Tuesday, I made it to my swim workout at 6 a.m. and swam strong and fast, getting progressively faster as the morning went on (which is totally unusual). We did part of the workout (700 m) with paddles. When I first used paddles a couple of years ago I couldn’t make it through a whole set. My upper body couldn’t handle it. But on Tuesday I could have continued for several more hundred metres and kept to pace.
Wednesday, I walked to work and back again, and then I walked to my personal training. I remarked to my trainer how strong I’m feeling these days and how it’s spilling into my other activities — running, swimming, even yoga and walking.
Sam and I have just completed a major revision, we hope the last, of the manuscript Fit Is a Feminist Issue. It’s gotten us to think back to the blog’s origins in the Fittest by 50 Challenge, when we set ourselves the goal of being the fittest we’d been in our lives by our 50th birthdays (in 2014).
Just shy of two years later, I can say in all honesty that I think I’m in better condition now than I was then, after having completed two Olympic distance triathlons in the weeks leading up to my 50th birthday. And I’m surrounded by strong, solid, inspiring women who help me believe I can do it.
So for this week, I’m just going to push pause and revel in the present moment. It doesn’t always have to be about looking ahead. Sometimes, right here is just fine!
What an amazing way at looking at things. I often get so hung up on the “get faster” aspect of running, I forget where I came from and how much I have achieved so far. Thank you for the great read.
Wow– that’s so great! And it’s also great to take a look around and how your state of fitness/happiness/engagement feel from right where you are sitting, right now. Sounds like they feel very good. Enjoy!
Congrats to you! You’re slaying it ! I do think it is entirely possible to live in each moment and still have that drive and oassion for what’s next. Not to necessarily have “more” but to be excited about whatever comes
🙂