As a new runner, I am learning so many new things.  Here are just a few.

My body is capable of so much more than I realized.  I’m almost 47, I’m pretty overweight, but I can run 2 miles (even 3 miles).  It might not be pretty.  It might not be fast.  But I can do it.

My mind is capable of so much more than I realized.  I can actually defeat the negative self-talk I often fill my head with.  All the times I say, “It’s too early to go to the gym.  I want to sleep.  I’m too tired.  I’m too fat.  It’s too hard.  I can’t.  I’ll just try this tomorrow.  You’re not good at this,” I have found that I can also say, “You got plenty of sleep last night.  You’ll feel good about this when you’re done.  You can do this because you’ve done it before.  Who cares how you look doing this — you’re doing this!!!”

The mental hurdles are way, way, way, way way bigger than the physical hurdles.

The right music makes running so much easier.

I wasn’t afraid of skunks when I ran in the dark until someone reminded me there are skunks.

I really, really like declines!  All of them!

You know the line from the movie, “Every time you hear a bell, an angel gets it’s wings?” or something along those lines?  Well, I have determined that every time there is a wind gust, somewhere there is a runner running up a hill with the wind in his/her face.

Wind changes direction to always be blowing in my face no matter which direction I run.  It never seems to be at my back.

Endorphins are the best.

Here’s a video I have seen a few times that a friend of mine posted this morning that always motivates me because I can identify with lots of the things said in it.  I will never be the hard-core athletes seen in this video, but I can adopt the same attitude.