Running for My Life After Returning From War
FEBRUARY 12, 2020| KAYLA WILLIAMS
“What have I gotten myself into?” I wondered while tying my shoes. I hated running my entire Army career; voluntarily committing to run daily for 40 days seemed absurd. But I was feeling desperate: Work had gotten overwhelming, running the Center for Women Veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and with the change in administrations, my position felt precarious. Instead of going to the gym, I’d often been hunched over my desk by 6:30 a.m. Worried about a major project, I woke up ridiculously early anyway, anxiously going over details in my head. … Why not go into the office? My clothes were getting tight, too. The bad habits hung together: Stress eating made me feel bad, so I drank more, which messed up my sleep, leaving me too tired to work out, thus worsening my mood. I knew I had to break the cycle, but I couldn’t dredge up the motivation.
Then an article caught my eye: “How Running Every Day for 250 Days (and Counting) Has Changed My Life.” Inspired, I decided to try a run streak: at least one mile a day for 40 days. The short distance and time-limited nature of a streak appealed to me: A mile was roughly 10 minutes, so I could never claim I didn’t have time. And 40 days wasn’t that long, just enough to get back on track. Having a goal would keep me accountable.
https://thewarhorse.org/running-for-my-life/
