Finding Self-Love Through Running

Health & Fitness September 10, 2016

I have written lots of articles on my start of running and the continuing pieces of my running life and I am here to today to share my struggles.

Today after a long day of work, I knew I needed to get a run after. After dragging my feet for an hour, I decided I just needed to do it.

As I was about a mile in my mind started going to the moments when I could only run a mile. How I just had gained much weight after high school and was in a point in my life where I just was trying to learn self-love again.

I was the heaviest I had ever been. I was just starting college at a Big Ten university, nervous already about the transition from my small town high school to a big school, feeling not healthy didn’t help.

My roommate was a avid runner and was super healthy. I was jealous. I just didn’t have the energy to do it like her. So I took her as motivation to do it! Over time I started going to the gym again, I remember the first time I ran 3 miles, it took me 30 minutes and I felt on top of the world. I ran it at a 5.5 pace. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

So what was holding me back all this time? Fear, lack of self love, lack of confidence; Many things I needed I want to overcome.

Gaining Confidence

It was that day, I knew I wanted more, I wanted to feel better, I wanted to succeed. It took a while, it actually took a whole year before I ran my first 5K. It then took me another three years to run my first half marathon. Over time, I noticed the little things, I was feeling better, losing some weight, had more self-love and had confidence in myself.

Losing It Again

Then after all that work, I started to gain it again. I knew I needed to get back on track so I hired a personal trainer. I wanted to get healthier and sometimes you need some help. I put a lot of work into it and I once again started to notice the differences in how I interacted with people, my work ethic and my confidence.

Continuing

Over time I have continued this and I haven’t looked back. I surround myself with others that motivate me, that was runners and I have even run my first marathon! I have my moments, where I don’t want to run or do something, I don’t think I could ever say its been an easy journey. However in the moments of no motivation, I remember how far I have come and how far I want to go. So I put on the shoes again and make the most out of a work out. See for me running, isn’t just to get ‘skinnier’ its a lifestyle change, its to help make me the best person I can be. It taught me self-love.

Written by Lisa Thompson

Lisa Thompson is Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit Self Love Beauty and host of 'The Confident Podcast'. She is an established confidence and self-love workshop leader and keynote speaker. She received a Bachelors in Arts in Communications and Public Relations from Michigan State University, degree in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania, certified in Positive Psychology and Creating Wellbeing, certified in Fundraising and Philanthropy from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and trained in mindfulness from the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. Currently, she sits on the MiHIA Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) steering team to build resilience in adults and children in Michigan, Great Lakes Bay Mental Health Partnership and a Rotary member. Her mission is to use her gifts, strengths and talents in speaking and writing to connect with people and empower them to love themselves, get unstuck and take personal action for self-improvements. She resides in Michigan, loves to run, sip on Americanos and has a dog named Denver.