Forward Momentum

I went for a run today. Ok… maybe not a run… more of a walk. Ok… it was pretty cold so maybe not really even a walk. But, I did go out with the dogs and there was walking involved. And running??? Well, not exactly sure what you would call it, but running works for me. We have two beautiful German Shepherds, Buddy and Sadie. Sadie is a cute little puppy who is not so little anymore and Buddy is the older and wiser of the two. They love to play fetch in the back yard, but even more, they love to go for walks. It’s been cold here lately, and I’m not a fan of the cold, but they are fans of walks. So today my daughter and I took them for a walk. It was short. But it was a walk until it wasn’t.

Running Attempted?

One sunny day last week, when I was feeling full of energy while on a walk I decided to run. What? Run, yes that’s what I said. I always get Buddy and he likes to pull, so, for some odd reason I thought he might like to run. So I did it. I ran. I understand many of you will not see the significance of this seemingly minor event, but I can’t run. It’s not that I don’t, I don’t, but it’s that I cannot. I have experienced knee pain for over the last 15 years that resulted in two total knee replacements. For those of you who have not undergone knee replacements – when your doctor says it will be a year before you don’t feel pain they were not lying, it was a year before I felt “normal”. All of that combined leaves me to know that I can’t run. But I did with Buddy last week. Today was a cold day and I had no extra energy, but I had Buddy and he wanted to go. So I ran. Then I stopped and I walked. Then I ran. Then I walked. Then I ran. This cycle repeated itself frequently. It was NOT pretty, but it was forward movement. I was over the top excited, way more so than I should have been, but I RAN!!!

Yay for Progress!

Apparently, I am finally to the point that I do not have the level of knee pain I have experienced for years, that is a blessing by the way. But today was about more than knee surgeries. I have worked up to this day for a while even though I didn’t know I was working towards running (well kind of) down the street with my dogs. I had my surgeries and I did all of my physical therapy and of late I’ve been working on a couple of things. I want to increase my level of physical activity so I try to get in more steps today than yesterday, it is a good thing my phone monitors that for me. I am also working on my balance. When I get a chance I try to practice some of the things I learned from the physical therapist. I am also working to reduce my calorie intake. It probably doesn’t feel like much to those of you that run marathons, but boy it did to me. I felt free today run/walking down the street!

Forward Momentum!

Progress… forward momentum is progress! I think we often forget that fact when we don’t feel the forward momentum is significant enough, when we don’t make progress as fast as we wanted to. So often in life we measure our progress against others and against what we could have done when we were younger and we end up disappointed with ourselves. But let’s be real here, forward momentum is forward momentum and that’s a good thing! Ever ride a bike? You know what happens when you put your foot on the pedal and push down? The bike begins to roll – forward momentum! When I was younger we used to put a car that wouldn’t start in neutral and push it to help it start. Have you ever pushed a car? They are heavy! But once they start rolling it is so much easier. What takes several people to get started takes no one once the car starts to roll, a turn of the key and life is good – forward momentum! Did I mention it is a good thing? Celebrate the small steps friends! Rejoice at your efforts and celebrate the small steps. I promise I am the only person in my neighborhood that would have called that “running” today. But today I ran and I am celebrating my forward momentum. Enjoy your forward momentum, and no matter how small, celebrate your small steps and keep making them!