What would we be left with if not for challenges?

It is not unusual at all, really, to think about how someone else may "have it better" or how your journey seems, at least on the surface, to be so much more difficult than just about anyone else's. I am here to tell you, my friends, that these challenges not only build character (just like your Mother told you so many times) in a very hardened fast way, but they also give you the grand opportunity to truly revel in your accomplishments as you begin to achieve your goals.

Let's bring this back into focus for a moment. Running, on some days, is not fun for me. I offer to you this sentiment... there is NO bigger challenge on days which you have dedicated to running than to actually lace up the shoes and get out the door. The mere thought of running, the notion of lacing up a pair of odd looking shoes to meander down through some neighborhoods, has been known to gnaw at my very last nerve from time to time. There are times when it is nothing short of a chore that could be synonymous with cleaning out the gutters of my house or cleaning out a chicken coup. Of course, not all running days are like this for me. Daily stresses, instigators, other do-badders who insist, albeit unknowingly, to ruin my day just enough so that the thought of running does not come before the thought of a soothing Gin and Tonic. Yes, my friends... Running is evil. That is, of course, until I finish the run.

Sitting down to the supper table is no different. In fact, challenges are more prevalent here than anywhere else as we eat a whole lot more often than we run. There are and will continue to be those who will tell you that you can eat and drink whatever you like and your running will "balance it out." Yeah, that has worked not so well for me over the years. We are often bombarded with thoughts and opinions on how, what, where, and why to eat... I am absolutely certain that the infomercials, books, television programs, product placements, and the like are not, in any way, aimed to take money out of your pocket in an egregious way.

Putting all of the elements to a good self-care plan into place is difficult, to say the least. It is much akin to creating your own language, from scratch. You have to develop your own terms that are relevant to that which you want to achieve, assemble those terms in a way that means something to you and, hopefully, to those around you and, perhaps most importantly, you want it all to make sense. In reality, that is easier said than done when it comes to this journey.

You may have been told or will be told at some point along your journey that this hill is too steep to climb. Well, I doubt that. I have told you already and I will tell you again... Your biggest challenge, really, has been conquered. Like it or not, you are a runner. You made the decision that your prior life-ways are no longer in line with your current self-care plan.

The best part of this whole thing? Not only have you invested time and effort into yourself and your future, but you have surrounded yourself with many like-minded people. Allow me to welcome you to your built-in support system.

Going forward, both literally and figuratively, you will never walk alone.

Be well.