dedication

noun-the quality of being dedicated or committed to a task or purpose

Some words I think of when I think of dedication are: commitment, diligence, drive, perseverance, and persistence. Well, I experienced all of these things today. I had a goal for today’s run….a lofty goal. I wanted to run 7 miles. It would be my longest run this year. I am secretly training to see if I can run a 1/2 Marathon. Trying to add miles and worry about my foot hurting is tricky.

It’s funny when we set goals/make plans. Sometimes things happen and that path has to be altered. This am, I wasn’t really feeling like running. I was procrastinating, my stomach hurt….might just not be my day. But, I grabbed my stuff determined to at least try. The weather was cooler and there was a nice breeze…so that was in my favor.

I headed out running in town, a departure for me. Lately, all my running has been done in the country or in woods. Running in town is different. It’s what I have always done the past few yrs. So, there was a feeling of comfort running my old routes, seeing the bustle of activity that the town provides. I had to shift my focus back to my running several times and it wasn’t easy. But, I kept thinking of that 7 miles and showing a persistence to reach that goal.

As the miles added up, I kept pushing myself. “I can do this” I kept telling myself when it seemed hard. Then, I found myself at mile 6…..well, maybe I could run eight? I got to 7 and was fatigued and should have been done. But I felt this drive to do 8. “Push yourself a little more” I told myself…..”see if you can do it”….and that last mile I realized I was going to do it. Wow! Can’t believe I ran 8 miles today! What a feeling. I pushed through and exceeded what I thought I could do.

Maybe that’s dedication….it sure feels like it.