We all know that working out and eating right can help you acheive your dream body, but what happens if your goal is not washboard abs, but a clear head? The past two months have been a bit of an experiment on my part; inspired by my (awesome) D1 XC/track boyfriend who runs upwards of seventy miles a week, I too wanted to throw on my nikes and give running a real shot. I wanted to take the parts he loves about running (aka, how it makes him feel during and after) and leave the fourteen mile workouts for something lighter. AKA, Riley has become my Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Sunday bff. And surprisngly, I love her a little bit more everytime I walk through her revolving gate.Â
Ma girl Riley, absolutley glowing on this fine evening!Â
As someone who is a total worry wart, I was surprised to find that as difficult as starting to run is, it totally took my mind off of the never ending To Do list running (ha, no pun intended) through my head. For the first time, I entered Riley’s doors not looking to lose 10 pounds or feel better in a bathingsuit, but for my general well being. After about two weeks, I noticed a genuine increase in my overall mood and found my time at the gym to be something I looked forward to, not dreaded!Â
What I’m basically saying is that if you are anything like I was, going to the gym was more work than it was worth. I hopped on the treadmill with sky-high expectations that obvioussslyy turned me off to exercising; but in taking a hint from my boyfriend, who runs because he loves it and because it makes him feel good, I realized that exercise as a whole can help you seriously work things out.Â
I can’t wait to be back on my Riley game come Wednesday… but until then, Happy Mardi Gras y’all!!Â
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