Health Synergy with Irina

Day 5, 360 days left to go on a plant based lifestyle.

It is 6 am on a Saturday, 32 degrees outside and I am half awake. I already planed what I am gonna wear, my running shoes and running gear are neatly stacked by my bed…although I can only  find one sock. Hmm …thank you Maximus (my giant african boerboel) for eating  yet another sock! No problem, I got another pair, nothing will keep me from getting ready for this run. Grabbed my green smoothy,  got in the car and I listen to Rhiana’s “Wild thoughts” as loud as I can so I don’t hear my teeth chattering. At this point I have some wild thoughts of my own..I can just imagine myself drinking my coffee under my plush throw watching reruns of Gray’s Anatomy…now that makes me hot!

But instead I am heading to Whiskeytown, CA to meet my amazing running buddy aka “speedy mountain goat”. Truth be told I have no business running with her, this girl can run circles around me when she is fighting a cold but she is also an amazingly kind human being and she comes down to my level once in awhile.

I’ve always had a love hate relationship with running. It all started when I was in the Navy and I was asked not so politely to get my “a**” moving. Running is hard enough without people screaming in your ear how weak you look doing it! So I promised myself never to run again as soon as I got out. When I moved to San Diego I was amazed to see so many relatively sane women running in tiny little shorts, sweating, talking and smiling!!!I had no desire to participate in this masochistic act, none what so ever; however for my birthday I got puppy, a rhodesian ridgeback named Layla. Little did I know that I had under my roof a world class athlete, who did not take no for an answer when it came down to training. I spent many afternoons being dragged around the neighborhood and ran after her chasing the neighbor’s cat. One day it finally occurred to me, if you can’t stop her, join her. She was not an easy dog, she had issues and so did I, but when we ran all of that disappeared, we had a rhythm, and through it we developed an unbreakable bond.

Although I ran many races, today I am a beginner yet again..After over a year of inconsistent running I am in no shape to run the 4-5 miles as I promised but I will because I need to feel that bond again, feel my insecurities disappear and become stronger in the process, and not dare give up on myself.

I am not trying to “sell” you on running, but rest assured no one is born an athlete. No matter how many “perfect” instagram pics we see, there is always the struggle behind the scenes, the low moments, the insecure moments. I hope that no matter what your “get healthy goals” are, you do this for yourself first. No it is not selfish, it is necessary! Only then your truly have more to give to others, when you are truly charged! You deserve to be back on the priority list!