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See this potato sit on this IKEA couch? That’s was me, my entire life. You know those “on Monday I will start being healthy” and then, Monday comes and goes and I never started or, I only did on that Monday.

Last year I did boxing classes (30-minute hit), it was good for around 6 months, then it got repetitive and I just quit. I was going once a month in the end.

I am trying to start to run since 2010, I researched blogs, I bought apps, I did a bullet journal, but you know, this is all beautiful on paper or when you say aloud but the actual first step outside, the short breath, the feeling that you’re going to die. No blog prepare you for this.

All the blogs give you the roadmap, start slow, run 2 minutes walk 1 and on and on. Sounds easy! But…

Do you know how to run?

I mean, really?

Do you know, know?

Well, I didn’t. That’s why I always gave up.

I am from Winnipeg, this amazing cold city with great parks. And I love Instagram and I follow some parks accounts like @theforkswinnipeg and @fortwhytealive, and one of them shared this amazing course of “Learn to Run” and I went for it!

And the first day the temperature was -10C.

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The first run was super motivated. It was almost 3km at The Forks.

We learned to dance-walk.

1. Run in the same spot
2. Now move

And this is how you run. Slow and steady.

Nobody is looking at you. If people are judging you it’s their problem.

Just have fun! 

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I am not going to lie, I found it painful, I thought I was going to die, I learned that I can breathe through my mouth only and that’s ok. It wasn’t easy at all!

Every week we went a little far using a new route

And in the end, we managed to run 5km. Always listening to your body, if it’s too much, walk.

There is no shame in walk in the middle of the run.

I think it was the 3rd class, I was really slow. So, Lindsay (the teacher) came to fetch me, see how I was doing. I looked back and asked:

Am I the last?

And then she said:

No, the last person is the one on the couch at home.

I know that sounds silly but that sentence made me going there every Wednesday afternoon and every Sunday morning. A little motivation is all you need and knowing you’re not the last even being a quitter your entire life. I didn’t want to be the last this time.
If you are in Winnipeg and want to learn to run, connect with Lindsay Somers (here is her Instagram).

I must say that it’s easier everyday, but it’s painful a day later (penguin walk all day). Also, before starting I couldn’t do 1 squatch, now I do 50!  Yaaay!! We have to celebrate the little victories too!

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June 1st is my first official run: the Pride Run.

How cool is that?

What’s your story? Share on the comments.

Learnedtorunin8weeks