MOVEMENT CREATES EMOTION
To give you a bit of context, this picture was taken when I was in the midst of training for a marathon in San Diego and a triathlon in Florida just a few weeks apart. I was being photographed for a shoot and during the late afternoon, evening shoot I fell. I literally ran to the doctor the next morning and went so far as to wear cute little swim/bike/run socks for my appointment. I was thinking my socks would be a subliminal message to him of the importance of my upcoming races to me.
I guess it worked as he said I could do both the upcoming marathon and the triathlon without further damage to my knee but explained that these races were to be taken slow and steady.
Why am I telling you all of this you might wonder? I have always loved to be outdoors and growing up, it was always around hours of running. Yes, you heard that correctly, hours of running. I loved it so much for the sense of exploration and trails all outside of NYC. I loved the sport and I became good at it and it was the one thing that I knew I was really great at as a kid growing up.
By the time I was in the 6th grade and just getting to middle school ( just outside of NYC ), my race times were receiving attention especially for someone my age and without formal training. My Dad would run with me all the time and we would do races together, as he knew how much I loved them. Early into 6th grade the local high school cross country coach asked to meet with my parents and the principal of my middle school. I was being recruited to be the first female runner for the high school cross country team and the only female runner. I was to come on at the varsity level to go head to head against the most elite high school runners.
Needless to say, I learned a lot at a very early age about being a big part of a sports team. What it was like to be the only female and how to be disciplined. I loved it, every moment of it. I didn't know then how much movement and being outdoors and exploring would become a real part of my DNA, or was it there even earlier in my life, I don't know.
I continued to run throughout my life. Marathons, triathlons, a half ironman, and many other races always kept me moving. I don't run as competitvely as I used to but I do run almost every day. The one thing I can't do, is run indoors. Running on the treadmill is one of the most dreadful experiences I can handle. When I hear of people that hate running or dread it, I think it is because in their mind they are tied to this contraption that keeps you in one place while pretending to move you forward. It's a torture device. However, I do believe it is great for those post surgery or for those that have suffered a traumatic bodily experience to get them up and moving the limbs again.
I treat walking in nature very differently than running. They are two totally different exercises in motion for me. For me, running is for the heart and the body and walking in nature is for the brain and the body. It's the act of moving forward that keeps us going, quite literally. Why do you think people are always filming their feet when walking down the street on instagram? It's the act of doing something, going somewhere, moving towards something. Movement creates emotion and mood creates movement.
Set your intentions for moving forward. See what a difference being outdoors and simple movement in nature can do for your body, your heart, your brain. Let your body and brain come alive with movement and allow your body to relish in the movements you can do right now.