Song: “Moves like Jager” Maroon 5
Quote: “It’s not what you think about before the race or what happens after the race, it’s just what you do while you’re out there.” — Millie Paladino, 2012 West Virginia cross-country winner, from “The Dominion Post”
For a teenager, Paladino has the wisdom of an adult runner.
I was born to run and technically, so you were you. It’s in our nature to run, hunt, gather, etc.
I had the best intentions to run in earnest one recent week. I completed one of my goals of going from one end of town to my house — about 4.5 miles. I also did a 3-mile run the day before.
Then life stepped in. I “ran” during work, going from task to task trying to cram everything in 7.5 hours.
I ran errands to keep my house running.
My diet reflected the grab-and-go running of the week. For every healthy meal, I’d eat two bad meals.
In the past, I would have just given up after having a setback. I’d obsess over how this was a sign of things to come.
No point moving forward.
Then I had kids. It does change you — sometimes for the better, sometimes not so much.
I learned that’s it’s better to stand up and try again. As a parent, I have to find different ways to do things. Sometimes it’s a constant cycle of doing stuff over again in different ways to achieve something.
It’s the same with exercise and diet. I may have a busy week, I have to try again the next week.
It’s not about what I did last week or will do in the future, it’s what I’m doing now.
Lace up and get out there. Though I draw the line at Frankenstorms.