Kelly Yu, Period 2, 3/16/21, Day A

 Kelly Yu

Period 2

3/16/21

Day A

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

One day, after shoveling an unusually enormous amount of snow, I noticed I was out of shape. Perhaps it was because of the weather outside, but I was breathing more heavily that usual and my arms were sorer than prior years. I have not been doing as much running or cardio workouts compared to pre-COVID. I made excuses not to do them. I told myself I would start exercising again after college apps, after scholarships, after work, but after never came. I kept putting it off until I realized how much my physique had changed. While some of it has been healthy weight gain, I wanted to get back to my original body size. With PSAL opening back again, I have to start running again for myself and my team.

 My goal is to get back into shape and make running a daily occurrence for me again. Months of inactivity affected me mentally and physically. The changes were subtle, but as I reflect, the changes were massive. I miss running for hours and I miss the peacefulness of long runs. I am motivated to get back to where I was before the pandemic. 

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

I know I can’t immediately do 5 mile runs, but I have been starting out small. I go for half a mile every day and I aim for a 10 minute pace run. If I can do more, I run extra. When I can’t keep up with my milestones, I get discouraged, but knowing I at least tried dispels that feeling. On days that I don’t want to run, I remind myself to remember why I started this goal and acknowledge doing something is better than nothing. As I train my body again, I am also strengthening my mind. It is the resilience I have that moves me from my bed to the sidewalk, ready to run. It is the courage I have to accept I won’t be as good as I was before, but still run anyway. 

I have support from my team as we encourage everyone to run. Beyond motivating myself, I help others who are in the same boat as I am. Even though we can’t run together anymore, I encourage underclassmen and fellow seniors to upload their runs on Strava. This way we can still be connected and take part in virtual events that encourage running. I think I have made great strides personally and within my school since my epiphany. 

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

Running is something that I have been doing for a while and wish to continue doing, but my mindset has deterred me from that. Slowly, I destroy that mentality and running is almost daily for me. However, to be honest, I think the beauty standards of today have also influenced me to get back in shape. I have been looking at my reflection more often to see if my stomach slimmed down. Ever since PSAL closed, and the lockdown started, it’s been harder to get in physical activity. I thought doing bits of cardio was not enough, so I stopped. I decided it was better than nothing and continued to do them. It is for my physical health and own perception of my ideal body, but I wonder sometimes if Instagram models and advertisements depicting slim women influenced this decision. 

The world does not change if I run or not. However, my smaller community is impacted. I belong to the track team. The team is impacted if I run or not. As a senior, I have an obligation to lead the underclassmen and assist them in any way possible. By not running, I forfeit the opportunity to help the underclassmen. Ever since I was a freshman, I wanted to be a senior leading core and workouts. However, by not running and not contributing to the team, I surrender my four year long dream. I reject that reality.