It Hurts

So this month I committed to a crazy challenge. At the start of the month I thought it would be tough but not nearly as mentally and physically taxing as it has been. 

I’m doing the ‘Calendar Club’ which is where you run the amount of kilometres or miles to the date.

It’s the 16th of February today and I’ve run 136kms this month so far. 

Honestly, I’m not a runner so I’m so surprised to have made it this far, admittedly though I’m over the halfway point but not even a fraction over the line in terms of overall mileage for the month. I’m doing this with my equally crazy brother Blake, who even more crazily is doing this challenge in miles - so whereas today I banked 16kms, he ran 25kms (16 miles) - it’s an insane variance in the km to miles conversion.

So you’re probably wondering… Why? Why the fuck, Jade.

Trust me, I have asked myself the same question but do have a pretty concise why. 

To preface, I’m an extremist. A very all or nothing kind of character. 

I got to a point this month where I had a lot of banked energy. I feel like you can only throw so much into work, and only get so much in return. I thought back to my days where I used to compete in fitness modelling comps and how energetically challenging the process was and sort of craved that empty tank feeling again.

I know this challenge seems insane, and it’s not for everyone. But I think there’s merit and value in reassessing your goals and throwing in a challenge every once in a while. 

Last year I did a few food fasts, a juice cleanse for 3 days, aimed to read a book a week for a month etc and it wasn’t about getting skinnier or smarter - although the byproduct of conquering goals is rewarding.. But in my opinion I think the mind is the most powerful weapon you’re equipped with and training it to show up even when it’s tough is an exercise that should be jogged as frequently as you can. 

So as I enter the backend of what has been a physically and mentally taxing month, I am super motivated by the little bit of sparkle that has come from mentally pushing through hurdles day after day, fighting the odds of being able to do something when you think you can’t.

If there’s any advice I can give, just do something that hurts and is in the too hard basket every now and then. Because your once impossible may be a piece of cake for the future you.