Regret

Nobody wants to live with regret. Forget about that bad boyfriend, the stupid drunk dial, the lack of studying for a big test. Do not regret the choices you made because they were made for a reason. Do Not Regret.

But what if regret fuels you?

Years ago I was diagnosed with tears in the cartilage of my knees. Undoubtedly those tears were due to years of competitive gymnastics. As the sports medicine doctor at my college explained how these tears caused the clicking, stiffness, and pain in my knees, he told me I probably would require surgery one day.

Fast forward twelve years.

Nobody wants to live with regret.  Forget about that bad boyfriend, the stupid drunk dial, the lack of studying for a big test.  Do not regret the choices you made because they were made for a reason.  Do Not Regret.

But what if regret fuels you?

Years ago I was diagnosed with tears in the cartilage of my knees.  Undoubtedly those tears were due to years of competitive gymnastics.  As the sports medicine doctor at my college explained how these tears caused the clicking, stiffness, and pain in my knees, he told me I probably would require surgery one day.

Fast forward twelve years.

I ran my first 5K on July 4th, 2011.  I prepared by loosely following the ever popular Couch to 5K app.  I had no pain in my knees.  After that race, I quickly signed up for another.  No knee pain.  And then running became a part of my life.  So much so, that I ran my first half marathon on December 1st, 2012.  I have 2 more half marathons planned for February and March.  I do not plan on stopping any time soon.  Running has defined me and given me a sense of self.

While I am so proud of my accomplishments so far, I can not shake a feeling of regret.  I regret not starting to run sooner.  Would I be faster?  Would I be able to run a full marathon?  Or would I have burned out?  Would my life be different?  Who knows.

I use this regret to make every run important.  It pushes me to be better and to remember from where I have come.  From barely being able to run 2 minutes without stopping to running half marathons and improving my speed.  Yes, I regret all those years that running was not a part of my life.

But I have never and will never say, “Man, I regret that run.”

Please join me at http://Mommiesrun.blogspot.com as I chronicle running, eating, and everything in between!  You can also find me on Twitter @MommiesRun and http://facebook.com/mommiesrun