My Personal Best!

Sometimes I get so caught up in thinking of the things I want to achieve that I fail to stop and really think about the things I HAVE achieved. Know the feeling?

One of the pearls of wisdom my psychologist (at least I'm not saying my "Jenny" consultant these days) is helping to instill in me is the ability to think rationally about the things which I know to be true. Things such as the distance I have come with my weight loss, the changes I have made in my lifestyle (such as eating celery without firstly dipping it in a jar of Nutella), the example I am setting for my children. When I rationalise these things I can't help but give myself the credit I deserve!

Two years ago the only thing I was able to run was a tab at the local Pub. Oh OK, and a temperature. These days I can run a smooth 6 kilometres on any given day of the week and do so in what I consider a bloody good time!

Last night (as per most) I dashed home from work, ripped my clothes off and hurriedly slapped on my gym pants, singlet and iPod before racing out the door in order to catch the very last rays of light. Now in the past I've made no secret of the fact that sometimes when I run I feel like an elephant with every single ripple of skin, fat and muscle billowing around me - think parachute. Sometimes my body feels strong and I really believe my legs are magnificent pistons smoothly pushing through their paces and carrying me the distance - and then I hear myself breathing and wonder when I suddenly became asthmatic. And then sometimes I also have superb runs where everything works in sync - mind, body, breath. The works. Last night was that run!

Last night I ran 5.6 kilometres in 23 minutes.

I realise of course that this is never going to win me a place on the Olympic sprinting team. In fact it's unlikely I would even qualify for a Little Athletics carnival, but heck as far as I am concerned I am Marion Jones in my own backyard (OK, minus the drug scandal).

Roughly 2 years ago the exact track I ran last night in 23 minutes took me 45! When I first started jogging this track I had snails glide past me at a faster pace. From the outset it would have looked like I was running away from something rather than towards it, and it would have sounded as though I was the big bad wolf attempting to blow a house of bricks down! Last night I felt so good and strong that I don't even mind telling you when I came home I thought I was Rocky, and heck, I still do!

I have reached a personal best - and you know the very best part? I know I can still do even better :o)