Today I ran on my own for the first time in a long time. I think last time I ran alone was when I was a few months pregnant. It was only for 20 minutes and not at all the pace I used to have but it felt great. 20 minutes was all I could give myself before picking up baby after work but they were the best gift I could have given myself. It felt liberating.
Running like this is one of the activities I’ve had to pause post baby. I do it with the baby all the time but doing it alone it’s different. I felt like myself and it was empowering. I think there are times we lose ourselves while we are trying to be Mommy’s. We are so focused on baby or the kids we forget we also need to focus on ourselves. It only took 20 minutes for me to regain some of that self. My body isn’t where it needs to be but running those 20 minutes made me feel strong and not so out of shape. I ran without stopping (well except to take the photo above) and it felt so good to be able to do that on my own. Don’t get me wrong, I love jogging with my baby but running is one those things I really miss doing on my own. It always gave me an opportunity to decompress and disconnect from the world. Running always made me feel free and alive.
I need to give myself more 20 minutes like these. It is healthy not only for the body but for the heart and mind. You should try it too. Give yourself the gift of 20 minutes. It doesn’t have to be running, do something you enjoy and make it a daily practice. If daily seems too much, try it weekly but be sure to at least try. I promise your “self” will thank you for it.
This photograph was taken as part of #NaPhoPoMo (National Photo Posting Month) – a shot a day for the month of November.
Frida's cafe 
Leave a comment