Run From That Past: Introduction

Hello Readers (should I start capitalizing that?)! Thank you for returning this fine Sunday :)

As you'll notice, I've updated a few things on my blog. Being that my last name sounds like doll, I thought it was clever to put "Stories by A. Dahl" as my blog name. So, it's like by a doll...get it? ;) Also, that's my pen name I've decided. Simple and author-like, right?

Ok, now to the part you came for ;)

Well, I'll start with some back story. I have a friend named Tabitha. She is fantastic. Her sister Marci is a good friend, too. Well. Right before we moved to Nevada, Tabitha started an amazing life-altering journey. It's awesome to see how much she has changed just because she was fed up with what she was doing. Through her commitment and discipline to changing her life for the better, she has made a complete turn around! She's so inspiring to me :) She found her path through Beach Body*. Now, I don't like Beach Body for myself, but for her it has been awesome. I respect that. I also love how genuine she is. When we moved down here, I was telling her how money was tight. Tabitha offered the option of me being a coach, but I said no. My favorite part of this story is her response. She said, "I understand. I won't ask you again because I value our friendship more." See? She's awesome, right?! She respected that Beach Body wasn't for me, and it didn't make anything awkward between us.

Well, one thing Tabitha does is she posts a lot on Facebook. Unlike most everyone else though, Tabitha even posts her failures. She admits when she struggles. Guys, I LOVE that. It gives me more strength than she realizes. She admits she is human, but is always trying. I love, love, love that!

One morning, Tab posted about how she really didn't want to get out of bed to work out. She said that her bed felt so comfy and warm, and it seemed too cold to get up. She was fighting herself like we all do. Well, something in her made her decide to go ahead and get up to do her workout. She posted why, and it was a neat thing to see her thought process. She also mentioned in one of her posts how her body was craving a workout, and that statement planted a little seed in my brain.

Well, weeks later, work became stressful for me. Don't get me wrong, I still love my new job. But, an unexpected event opened up a promotion opportunity. At first, I was overly confident I would get it. Then, I wasn't sure if I would. At the end, I was convinced I wasn't going to. The night before I interviewed for it, that seed Tabitha planted sprouted to a flower in my head. I suddenly understood what she meant. I needed to run. Something in me needed to be outside, headphones in, and running my heart out. So, I did.

I decided running is what I love. Not to lose weight, not to be toned up, but because I legitimately love running. So, I ran for the first time in over a year. I had originally tried to use our clubhouse, but my key didn't work. Frustrated, I remembered a path near our apartment that was a potential running spot. Lucas lovingly drove me over and waiting while I ran. (He had to make sure no one tried to kidnap me ;) ). The path is actually awesome. The lights get brighter when you run by them. There's a little man-made-lake-puddle thing you run around. It also has hills you climb up and run down. I. Love. That. Path. I am also proud to say I never stopped to walk during any of my runs :) The path totals to about 3 miles if you ran around it twice (I think) which is what I have been doing. It was a proud moment to keep running.

After that first run, I came up with this mini-series idea. Running always clears my head of trivial matters and allows me to think of things that actually matter to me. So, I decided I wanted to run every morning. I will run at that path Monday-Friday (and sometimes Saturday). And then every 1st and 3rd Sunday I will post one of these mini series post things. So far I'm doing good! I ran Tuesday night, then Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning this week :) I also did a light jog Saturday just because :) It feels like a good start!

I also know how I work with running. I'll get into a habit, and then something will happen, and I will too easily fall out of that habit. So that's another reason I wanted to start this series. I will have to keep running every morning so I have something to tell you about twice a month!! It's genius, right?

Anyway, this morning was tricky because I was tired. My alarm went off, and like Tabitha that one day, I was SO COMFY in my bed. I just wanted to snuggle with Lucas for another hour. But, that post of Tab's ran through my head at least 5 times. She was right, I craved that run. I could make it out of bed, I could face the cold. I could get up and run. So I did. :) By the way, we're ninnies when it comes to "cold" now. That morning it was just 38 degrees outside. In Idaho, that's when Spring is starting... ;)

So my series will be called "Run From That Past". I will cover a variety of topics, ranging from self esteem to road rage. I'll include stories of mental illness, adoption, loneliness, and heartbreaks. I'll share experiences of joy, happiness, and love. I'm really stoked to share this with you, my readers, because you were the reason I got up to run this morning. You were the motivation I needed to keep going.

I have the next 5 months topics planned out, so that'll keep me running until then ;) at that point, I'd love to open up my blog to requests! Let me know what you, person from Germany I haven't met, would like me to write about. I'll have at least 10 runs to think about your request, so hopefully my posts will make you happy :) Like I said though, the next 5 months/10 posts are accounted for! I just need those extra ideas to keep me going after that. If I don't see any requests, I'm sure I'll think of something to keep me going.

So, here's to a start of a journey I hope to never end. To run for more than just the joy of running. To run for a purpose. That purpose is to tell you how I deal with life, and if by some miracle it helps you deal with yours, then I have achieved at least one life goal ;)

Thank you, again, to all of you who stumble across my blog. If you read more than two words, I appreciate you choosing my writing to take some of your time. If you only click and then exit out of my blog, well hey, at least you made a click ;) Lastly, thank you to everyone who reads all of my posts. I know I get rambly (that's not a word. But it means sometimes I ramble in writing form) at times, but thank you for always reading. Thank you, and I hope this mini series will make your reads worth it :)

-Allison S. Dahl

*While I think it's great for some people to do Beach Body, It Works, Weight Watchers, and any other weight loss type program, these things are not for me. I do like some of the shakes BB offers, but I am not one for any of these programs. Like I said, it's awesome for some people, but I am not one of those. Thank you for understanding like Tabitha did ;)