For more by Olivia, visit her blog at greekgirlrunning.wordpress.com
We all have a motive, a drive that puts our thoughts into actions which is typically the case for starting to run. Whether you want to start running for weight loss, to join a social group, to get healthy or even just to enjoy the fresh air, there is always a reason you want to start. From that one thought of motivation can become this extended growth that fuels a positive mindset that will enable you to overcome obstacles and progress as a self being. Running your first 5k, running your first 10k, running a marathon. There is no limit to your progression and there is so much to achieve.
So how did I get into running? Although I was pretty average at sports in school, by average I mean I get past the first wave of the bleep test, but I was never really obsessed with running like I am today. To tell you the truth, since leaving school, going to university, throwing myself in and out of jobs, and being a typical teenage dirt-bag, there was a good 4 year gap where I didn’t do any exercise at all. So what sparked my mind and actually got motivated to step outside? As cliché as it sounds, it’s about a boy. Yes, poor Olivia had her heart-broken at the pinnacle age of 21, life as I knew it was over. After weeks of mournful self pity and 3 pounds of nutella sitting on my thighs, I turned into the ice queen bitch that you definitely did not want to know. I was sour to my family, social media was always getting me angry even though I would actively search for things to piss myself off, crazy I know. I had to be out of the house, detached from my phone, just away from everything and everyone, I needed to be alone with myself and re-establish my life choices (taste in men). I then took to the streets of Rayleigh, slow-paced, not rushing, just jogging up the road and back. It was my time to clear my head, focus on my breathing and just let all the negative energy slip away. It turns out, I did survive the break up and I actually learnt something about myself along the way. Not that I am a strong independent black women who dont need no man, but to understand that the most important point of what I thought of myself. I did have a lot of thinking to do, along the way my miles became longer and I became stronger physically and mentally. Controlling my emotions through running has led me achieve lengths I had never thought I could reach from the start, and I still have a long way to go.
So what I want to know is, what made you want to start running/ exercising? Whether its overcoming a mental obstacle, a personal experience or even a positive push, I would love to hear it. I am going to be brave here and create a wave of nomination. I want you to send your short story to me and I will post it on Greek Girl Running and you will then nominate a fellow runner who will then share their story. I will post the stories through out the week so every runner can see where your motivation came from. Maybe this will inspire others to try running as a new release, all I know is it helped me a lot to overcome personal obstacles.
I look forward to hearing how you started.
Many Thanks
Olivia Neo x
Email me your short story at [email protected] for a feature in next weeks blog post.
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