My New Age Of Running without Expectation

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My new age of running without expectation is here! Because its my go to form of exercise, I’m constantly checking in with my running to ensure I’m on my path. Currently, I’ve let go of all my strict running expectations!

 

When it comes to running, there always seems to be an obstacle or two that gets in the way. Cold weather is a killer if you live in that type of climate, but its one of many universal obstacles that includes your children, work, and the pandemic. The list goes on. For me personally, I set strict running expectations for myself, which is how I committed myself to running all those years ago. Now a new age of running has entered my life. Running without expectation.

Being a seasoned runner, I set a lot of different goals for myself and I can honestly say that I’ve met them all. This means I must now change, grow, and find new challenges. My focus shifted when I became pregnant with my second child and has remained in this new space now that I have two children. In the past I would obsess over how many miles a week, a month, a year I was running. I’d reach those goals and set new ones, but that mentality no longer works for me and my life.

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Commitment is probably the biggest challenge we face, so I maintain that as my goal and philosophy. Committing to run throughout my second pregnancy taught me a lot about myself and my body. It also opened me up to a freedom I was missing; getting out just to run. My expectations were very high in the past. I felt as though if I couldn’t go run 5 miles, then it wasn’t a good run. Such negativity was damaging and it took me a long time to get myself away from those thoughts.

My new age of running is all about embracing every kind of run and running without expectation. I’m no longer strict on how many miles I run a week, a month, or even a year. My leash is much longer on how I accomplish my daily fitness, because sometimes it doesn’t include a run. I’ve built a foundation for myself that is strong enough to withstand any challenge. Now I can run free, and with two children to look after, I know that getting out for a run is its own feat every morning.

 

 

Embracing all runs no matter the flavor or style is simply great. It makes me feel stronger than ever, like I’ve conquered an enormous mountain. I truly believe this freedom is how I continue to run every morning. I’m committed to my commitment and that means everything. Even during all those sleepless nights with my new baby over the last year, I was excited to get up and run. If I thought back on the year, I could count on one hand the times I used my baby as an excuse to not run.

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Separating out your excuses and refusing to allow yourself any is how success finds us. No matter if its a bad night sleep, not getting my kiddies out the door with me, feeling lazy, feeling cold, or any one of so many other excuses, I have set it aside. This has allowed me to keep my new age of running going strong! No matter what, every run I do is a good a run. Getting outside and honoring my commitment is my goal for the day.

Running is hard and running with children is hard. Going running when you have children is hard, and creating a running habit is hard. But the difficulty cannot be your focus. Thrive off the challenge. Focus on your commitment and the pleasure of accomplishment. Getting out for any kind of run is great! Pat yourself on the back like I am and keep enjoying those runs.

 

Meet Our Fitness Guru:

Mandi Mellen is Lead Editor, Writer, and Co-Owner of BuzzChomp. She’s an acclaimed Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for her film work, or get lost in her comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow her on TikTok, X and Instagram.

Photo Credit to Yours Truly

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