Back in March I planted a few seeds. There were the vegetable seeds (including these tomatoes) and there was the #runstreak. The streak where I put these runners on each day to run. This weekend I repotted the plants because they had well and truly outgrown their pots. And I hung my shoes up from daily running after 140 days, 20 weeks of streaking. The tomatoes had out grown their pot and I’d outgrown putting my shoes on each day. 

For a long time I knew I needed to keep running. To keep the streak alive. It felt easier to keep going than to stop. And my running was serving a purpose. It was creating a base of fitness and building some fire in my life. It was my quarantine (1.0) saving grace. I ran all the way through quarantine and beyond, coming out the other end with a stronger and more confident mind. I ran myself into a new challenge, the Amsterdam 1/2 marathon. Which, naturally, I’ll run in a school dress for One Girl because that is what I do!

When I look back to my IG post from the time I planted the tomato seeds I read the hint of another seed between the lines. It was the beginning of me starting to consider doing things smaller and in a more focussed way. Of transferring this idea of ‘not having it all’ into all I do. Of doing smaller things well. Not of not dreaming big things but of getting to those dreams in a different way. This is the magic of writing for me. Little thoughts shared aloud with myself. These thoughts sent out into my world for me to notice and work with,

I only hung my shoes for a few days! Today I ran the first run of my 12 week training schedule. I googled one and found one on runners world. I’ve never actually followed a running plan but a schedule seems to be working for me right now. Three runs a week it will take. I have no doubt the Amsterdam 1/2 marathon will be cancelled due to corona. I’ll still run it though. There is a 25km hike through the woods around our village. I’ll run that! In a school dress and I’ll rope the family in to ride along and cheer, document for me and share as I go. Lol. It it will be fun.

‘To pay attention. This is our endless and proper work.’ ~ Mary Oliver. 

This little tale of the tomato plants and the running shoes reminds me how subtle beginnings and endings can sometimes be. How gentle letting go can be. It isn’t always big and scary. Rather that growing into ourselves and tweaking with adjustments is a contant. And not everything needs an ending, sometimes it’s just a shift, a new pot, a more intentional goal or plan. I wonder .. will the repotted tomato plants fruit with me alongside my adjusted running plan?!?

#Day22/31

#writingstreak

#therunninglooksdifferentnow

#ireallylovethiswritingstreak