Baby Steps and Little Leaps

I failed gym in high school. Twice.

Teenaged Vanessa was more concerned with hanging out in the Drama classroom (shocking!) and the smokers' courtyard (possibly more shocking!) than dressing in school-issued shorts and climbing a rope or batting a birdie. I had been on sports teams when I was younger, but I was determined to avoid any semblance of athleticism by the time I reached 10th grade. Unfortunately I had conflated being active with gym teachers who were at best uninspiring and at worst tyrannical. There was NO WAY that I was going to participate in any school-sanctioned sport ever again.

Flash forward to forty-something Vanessa. I've got multiple marathons, half marathons, and other road races under my soles as well as a love for trail running, hot yoga, hiking, and easy cycling. What happened that I was able to make this change?

I found the types of movement that bring me my joy. Yes, I had to take a couple of chances to figure that list out, and yes there were some activities that I tried and abandoned. I would say that the number one strategy that worked for me was becoming more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Whether I was worrying about looking dumb (hint: no one is looking at you because they're all worried about how they look), worrying about following instructions, or worrying about making it through mile 19, I was not only making a conscious decision to see what could be on the other side of that temporary discomfort, but I was taking a leap of faith that the other side would be worth it. What could a similar leap mean for you?