Dedication

Dedication. Obsession. What is it?

I ran eight miles on Sunday morning. Running is not an obsession for me. It’s dedication. I set a goal to run a half-marathon and I’m going to do it and do it better than I think I can.

Dedication is what gets you out the door on a chilly, rainy evening.
Dedication is what gets you up at 5am on a Sunday so you can meet a group to go running.(On those runs I often think about how I go to the church of running – it’s a time for reflection, struggle, gratitude, faith, praise)
Dedication is what gets you from half a mile to 5 miles when you really wanted to quit at half a mile.
Dedication is what makes you run up hill for a mile because you know it’s worth it.
Dedication is what makes you get okay with spitting in public. (okay, it still makes me feel gross but the alternative is worse)
Dedication is what makes you push harder and go faster when you are dead tired but you only have .17 miles left to hit your next benchmark. Actually, that’s not dedication – that’s being competitive. Also, sometimes crazy.
Dedication is what makes you get the fuel belt thing that looks like a mini fanny pack – because it’s functional.
Dedication is what makes you say no to the cocktail you really want because you know yourself too well and you just don’t want to risk doing anything that will throw you off because you have to get up and run. You have to do it because you have a goal.

Dedication is being okay with blistered, callused feet.

Dedication*:

• increases your confidence
• increases your self esteem
• increases your joy
• increases your bond with other people who share the same dedication
• increases your desire to try new things

*may also result in forgetting to water your beloved plants, forgetting to unload the dishwasher, air high fiving someone about a specific type of spinach mix, posting in all your social networks about your progress, reading about other people who share your passion, being creeped out by your cats because they lay down on your dirty workout clothes, and being happy about being sore