Mental victory

Today I decided I was ready for a new challenge: I was gonna run fourteen kilometers to a farm where they serve coffee. I have run sixteen kilometers but never in one go: I always ran eight kilometers, had a coffee break and then ran home eight kilometers. So this was something new, I was gonna go where I had never gone before! So I felt kinda nervous.

And even though I can run the eight kilometers (five miles) to Westendorp, and their nice pancake restaurant where I always have my coffeebreak, quite well, I was now plagued by doubts and insecurities. Just the thought of having to run another six kilometers after Westendorp made my legs tremble with anticipated fatigue, and didn't I feel a cramp coming on?! And in my mind I heard Frank Sinatra singing: 'Yes there were times, I'm sure you knew, when I bit off more than I could chew!'

Then suddenly Frank was interrupted by the saying: 'You have nothing to fear but fear itself!' With sudden clarity I realised it wasn't my body giving me trouble running fourteen kilometers, it was my pesky mind! It kept whispering: 'Are you sure you can do this? It's awfully far! I don't think you can do this.' It's the same voice that keeps pestering me as a mom. Realizing this I said: 'Yeah I heard you! So now just shut up, because I cán do this! I'm doing it!'

So not only did I conquer fourtheen kilometers, I also conquered myself.

And my victory tasted sweet. Especially with the cup of coffee I had at the coffee farm.