Running Reflections - Tuesday Training Tips and words of encouragement!

 This morning’s run was hot, sticky, and exactly what I needed. Nothing hits quite like a shower after being indefinitely drenched in sweat from head to toe. I can truly attest that all my clothes were soaked this morning as if I had just stepped out of a pool. Gross to some, but oh so gratifying once the cold water from the shower hits! Evidence of a successful sweat session that encompassed 8 miles around the neighborhood before 5 am!

How about some reflections for this morning's post? Somewhere around mile three, when the rhythm of my footsteps finally started to drown out the mental noise, I found myself thinking about this quote I saw recently:

“What they hate in you is missing in them. Keep shining.”
And it just… stuck.

It’s wild how running gives your brain just enough space to file through all the things you’ve been holding in—doubt, frustration, maybe even a little hurt from people who don’t always clap when you win. But today reminded me that when someone can’t celebrate your light, it says far more about them than it ever will about you.

You don’t need to dim your shine to make someone else comfortable. If anything, lean into it. Run harder. Speak louder. Be fully, unapologetically who you are—even if that rattles a few cages along the way.

Training Tip of the Day:
When your run starts to feel mentally heavy, switch the focus from pace to purpose. Pick a mantra (like “keep shining”) and let that carry you through instead of the numbers. You’ll be surprised how much further your mind can go when you’re not staring at your watch. Another purpose I meditated on was the fact that I'm now nearly 11 months post hip fracture and still counting my blessings and thanking my Heavenly Father for recentering my purpose in life and allowing me to get back into my running shoes!

So here’s your encouragement:
Don’t let the world shrink you. Whether it’s in your workouts, your work, or your own quiet progress—keep going. The things others may criticize in you? They’re often the things they wish they had the courage to express themselves.

You’re doing better than you think. And if you needed a sign to keep shining—this is it. You're doing great, and I believe in you too :)

Sending hugs and well wishes to all my friends on this page!