Exercise and Me: A Timeline

I have always thought of myself as the underdog. Growing up I was short, slow and asthmatic...

Not much has changed.

But what I lack in physical ability, I make up for in heart. When I was on the recreational soccer league from ages 8 through 11, I earned the nickname "Mad Dog." I would run up and down the field like a rabid little puppy darting between all the taller girls to get the winning goal (okay, I don't know if I ever helped a win, but it sounds more inspiring). I still wear my blue number 7 t-shirt from 4th grade and appreciate that the style was to wear giant over sized shirts back then.

By the time I hit middle school, I wanted to stay active but my Mad Dog skills didn't qualify me for any team that require try outs. This is how I ended up on the Cross Country team: everyone got in. I have always been a sprinter, whether it's my short attention span, or the fact that my legs quit after 100 paces, I just always preferred a race that was over in seconds rather than what felt like hours. But there I was, jogging my heart out.

Thinking back to those days, I can still feel the sharp tingling in my throat, the wheezing in my chest, and the constant wonder "Why am I doing this?" My poor parents would cheer me on relentlessly, probably just supervising me so I didn't pass out. But I did get a t-shirt for participating - it even had my last name on it - and I wore that shirt for years, until the tattered shreds were no longer fitting for a shirt that read "Pain is temporary, Pride is forever."

When I got to high school, you'd think I'd learn that I was better suited for more sedentary activities. Painting, reading, sitting. But no, there I was back out on the track. My older brother ran track, so clearly there was no other option. Needless to say, he inherited the same athletic abilities I did, but we won't go into that.

I'm actually quite proud of my time in high school track. I focused more on shorter races and came to terms with the fact that I was never going to win a race. But what I did do was figure out which event had the least number of participants. You see, track is all about gaining points. Points for coming in the top three, points for beating a personal best, points for creativity... okay, I wish. I joined the 300M hurdles because no one else wanted to do that race, and as long as I showed up, I would earn points. And points meant the possibility of earning my letter. So I ran and tripped over hurdles for two consecutive months with one goal in mind: a letter jacket. Yes, that is weird for a girl to want a letter jacket of her own, but I liked to have clothing that made people think I was athletic.

Sure enough, I did it. I proudly wore that jacket until college. Once I hit college, I only dabbled in jogging. The school gym was free for my senior year, so I hopped on a treadmill 5 times a week and got in the best shape of my life. Since then, I've tamed down my desire to prove the asthmatic girl can hold her own, but there's been one dream of mine I've never given up... Racing in a 5K.

Have you figured out why? Free t-shirt.

I knew people who had a whole drawer full of t-shirts collected from various races. Every time I see someone wearing a shirt from a race they participated in, I have a deep respect for them. I don't even like t-shirts, but I'd like to be that person, just once.

It's a great side effect that training for this race will help me in Mission "Get Buff." The healthy lifestyle I've adopted will be a great foundation to build on when I start asking more of my body in the coming months. Also, this whole fantasy of a t-shirt is a great motivator to me. A much more specific and tangible goal than just "Exercise more." Now my goal is "Exercise more in order to build strength and participate in a 5K." Which 5K is still undecided, but something probably in February.

I suggest you sit down and take the time to write down specific goals you have for yourself. You may want to change some things in your life, so find some specific stepping stones that will help you get closer to your goals. Sure, it'd be great to join in a half-marathon, but if you make such grandiose goals, they can become overwhelming. Baby steps towards a better you.