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You Can Begin Again At Anytime
"If you set an ambitious goal for yourself personally, your body and mind will rise to the occasion." - Ruben Harris
Hi !
As we prep for our group run this weekend, I want to share something that's been on my mind. If you’re on the fence about joining us (or lacing up to run wherever you are), I want you to know that it's okay if you are not at your desired fitness level.
I know what you’re thinking…
“I’m not fast enough”
“I can’t run that far”
“I need to be able to ________ before I can run with other people again”
I get it. If you haven't run or exercised in a very long time then the thought of attending a group run does not sound all that exciting. But hear me out.
You can begin again at any time. And you should.
A few years ago, I trained for and ran a full marathon. I also did a triathlon and trained for the Broad Street Run and many half-marathons. But here’s the thing - I’ve run more in the last two months than I have in the last two years. Also, the thought of running more than three miles these days kinda stresses me out.
Just because we aren't at the pace we were two years ago doesn't mean we can't try to get there again or do our best with the pace we have now. There is a quote I love that says, "whether you think you can or you can't - you're right."
I remind myself that I am not the version I was during the marathon and triathlon and that's okay. Instead, I work to respect my current fitness level and build from there.
If you are someone who wants to start running again or needs some accountability (or maybe just a fun time reconnecting with the Strides community), I encourage you to register and join us this Saturday.
, although we say this run is for 3-5 miles we want to be very clear that if you can run 1-2 miles, you are welcome to join us! In our 10-mile training program there is even the option to do a 2-Minute Walk / 2-Minute Easy Run strategy to help build momentum.
If you've been in your head about this too, here's permission to let it go. We hope to see you this weekend at Philadelphia Runner in Manayunk. Remember, embrace your current fitness level and get after it!!
Kiera,
Co-Founder of Strides
Reader responses to last week's intro:
"I am not a runner by any stretch of imagination. But when you said “If you got into the Broad Street Run, congrats”, I got all giddy inside. I got in. First time ever. It’s been a goal of mine for years. I’m doing the virtual run because I’m not “there” yet to be around all of those people. And I’m not “running” the race. I’m walking it. I’m so excited I can hardly contain myself. Thanks for the “shout out”!" - Alicia
P
"This is exactly what I needed to hear today! I'm currently in a similar spot with feeling great about my Broad Street training and having that derailed by a lower back spasm (brought on by a sneeze of all things). Reminding myself that I deserve rest and that giving myself time is an important part of keeping the positive training momentum going and not further hurting myself." - Ali F
What We're Eating This Week
Did you remember to change all of your clocks? Speaking of change, Spring is around the corner so here's our last list of winter recipes! If you're gearing up for the week, but not sure what to add to your menu, here are a few ideas:
YOUR 10-MILE TRAINING PLAN IS HERE. In partnership with our friends at HOKA, we want to get you ready for the Broad Street Run! Visit our website and train with us!
🏋️♀️: Strength Club: There's a new EMOM cycle at the earlier part of the week. , not a member yet? Start your free trial today.
🏃: Why Short Workouts Work via Joe Holder - "Too many of us try to be our old gym rat selves, discouraged that we can’t do a 90 minute session when that used to be cake. Conversely, we think because we never have done a long workout we can never do that in our lives. We then never start at all..."
