My son Kuba will be 2 years old in September…I don’t know how that happened…it feels like he’s just been born… Looking at my handsome little man, how fit and strong he is and that his favourite activities are: running, jumping, climbing on anything he could possibly go, playing up with dumbbells and exercising with my husband and me while we do our workouts…I can’t stop thinking about the power of transferring those “interests” onto him right from the very early stages of his life.
I was exercising and teaching fitness classes throughout the whole pregnancy. Very soon after giving birth, I got back to training regime too. When Kuba was 6 months young, I crossed the finish line of Wembley half-marathon. I still remember the faces of people looking at us in disbelief when I was lifting Kuba up in the air, putting my medal around his neck…
“How did you do that” they were asking. The answer to this is quite simple – I’ve done this because I was prepared, and I was prepared because I was training for it.
The real question is WHY did I do that?
Why did I put myself through that demanding training, having such a small baby by my side?
Well, there were few reasons for it. And what I discovered, is that my reasons are really the universal truths that apply to any area of our life. While you are reading, take a minute and think about how my half-marathon story resonates with you, with your dreams, aspirations and your WHY behind anything you do.
I run my half marathon on Kuba’s 6th month birthday because:
- I SIGNED UP for it, so I had a specific GOAL with a DEADLINE
Well, the truth is that I signed up for London Marathon first and was lucky enough to get a place. This is a big story itself so that I will write more about it in a separate post. Signing up meant that I had a specific date of the event that I needed to be ready for. That’s it.
There was no room for procrastination, excuses, and justification. I had to put a plan together, training per the schedule, be mindful of the nutrition, hydration and recovery time.
What gets scheduled, gets done.
Without a specific time frame, it’s much easier to miss the training, having a cheat meal or quit all together.
- I wanted to TEST myself
The marathon was happening end of April, so I felt that it would be a good idea to test myself in a half-marathon first. Checking how my body will cope with the race was very important.
I didn’t run during pregnancy, I started training 3 months after having a child and needed to take the baby steps. Even though I felt quite fit, my body has changed and forgot some movements that were familiar before. So, one step at a time, overcoming few challenges on the way, I was able to move forward towards my goal.
- I wanted to FEEL the ATMOSPHERE of the RACE
When I run my first half-marathon, I was hooked. I loved the buzz before the race, those butterflies in my stomach, the feeling of excitement and apprehension. The atmosphere on the course was fabulous, with people cheering all the way, offering drinks, fruits, gummy bears, kids giving hi-fives. After experiencing that for the very first time, I knew that I would be coming for more. Positive emotions associated with certain events are like a good addiction, you just want to feel them again.
- I wanted to EXPERIENCE the finish line in Wembley
When I was going through the list of half-marathons happening in early spring time in the UK, I knew straight away that Wembley would be the one. Crossing the finish line inside an iconic Wembley Stadium – yeaaaah, I wanted to do that.
For me, life is not about buying things; it’s about experiencing moments that will stay with us forever…
I must say that it was, indeed, a magical moment for me.
- I wanted to go OUTSIDE MY COMFORT ZONE
Training for a half-marathon and marathon alongside breastfeeding and sleepless nights was a challenge. There were many times when I was crying out loud and wanted to give up. But I didn’t.
The magic happens when we step out of our comfort zone and do something that we never thought possible.
Confidence skyrockets, new possibilities open and we are not the same people anymore.
- I wanted to DO SOMETHING FOR MYSELF
Mummy’s life in the first few months may feel quite daunting, repeating same things all over again, being busy all the time but, at the end of the day, it looks like nothing has been done. I know that I would go crazy if I spent my whole time with my baby, even though I love him so much. Doing the necessary training was my little escape, some precious time only for myself – time when I could recharge my batteries.
Each time after training, I felt much better, looking at mummy’s challenges under a different light. I was coming back as a better mum, better wife, and a better person.
- I wanted to RAISE MONEY for a good cause
I’m fortunate enough to have 2 legs, 2 arms, being healthy, having food on the table, loving and supportive family but many people don’t have that. I feel that’s my obligation to help the ones in need and for the last few years, together with my family, we’ve been doing that through an initiative called Basket Brigade. We combine a healthy lifestyle with the idea of helping others, so each race and fitness challenge is for a good cause.
I believe that secret to living is giving and we’ve already experience magic many many times.
What you give, comes back to you tenfold.
I hope you found yourself in my story as well. We are all humans, and we are all doing different things for the same reasons. I would love to hear from you, what are your takeaways here. Please leave a comment below.
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