2014 Vacation Series #5: Lose Yourself

I'm finally back home in NYC! I had an AMAZING vacation, and got to spend time with family members I haven't seen in a very long time. Sitting in Uncle Dickie's kitchen, I learned about my family history (literally one of my favorite things to research) and learned more about the man I've looked up to and loved my whole life. I bonded with aunts, cousins, and even kids (which are not my strong suit).  But more importantly, I got a chance to get away from the stress of hectic city living and just breathe for a week.

This is the first trip EVER where I've had a workout routine in place and actually stuck to it. I'm proud to say I'm on track with my 5k training, and feel good about where I'm headed.

That doesn't mean I didn't have rough days. Tuesday night, the night before we left to go back to New York, I was emotionally and physically drained. I felt weak, tired, frustrated, and defeated. The last thing I wanted to do was run endlessly on the treadmill at the hotel gym and exhaust myself further. I didn't think I could do it. I feared failure. I feared giving up midway through the workout and feeling even worse than I did in that moment. So I thought, why not just skip it altogether?

But I didn't. Something in my head screamed "NO!" and that scream was louder than the whispers begging me to go to bed and worry about exercise another day. After a pep talk from Eric over the phone, I decided I had to prove myself wrong -- I was going to workout, and I was going to finish strong.

I almost always listen to music when I run, and though I didn't hear this song on shuffle when I was actually running, the thought of it and its lyrics did push me through my workout:

You've probably heard this classic Eminem hit at least once in your life, but if you haven't, you NEED to look it up. I don't care if you don't like rap. Just listen to the lyrics. That and the beat will make you feel like a complete and utter badass and push you through just about anything. Thinking of that song in my head, thinking of how hard I'd been working, I KNEW I could make it through that 30 minutes. And when I got on that treadmill I kicked ass. 

Don't EVER tell yourself you can't do something. Assuming the goal is realistic, always assume that you can conquer it. Give it everything that you have and walk away knowing that you did all you could, whether you succeed or not. How else will you ever know what you're capable of? How else will you ever maximize your full potential? Follow Eminem's advice and lose yourself in the moment. It's the only way to find out how amazing you truly are.