Breathe

Some days I feel like my heart will explode.

Literally.

When I’m running on the treadmill at 5:00am and I’m about 5 minutes from ending my workout, breathing becomes more difficult, my heart rate rises even more than it already has and I want to stop, right there.

Interestingly, I started to notice that it doesn’t matter how long I’m running for, it happens as I’m getting close to being done. If I run for 30 minutes, 45 or 60, I get panicky about 5 minutes out and I want to make it stop.

Sometimes I quit. I tell myself that I need to “cool down” and give myself permission to walk the rest of the way but recently, I’ve been making myself stick it out. I tell myself that it’s only 5 more minutes and I talk myself through one minute at a time concentrating all my effort on breathing, until I’ve finished running the full time.

Once it's over and I’ve finished stretching, I have a big dose of energy and I’m glad that I pushed myself and didn’t let my irrational feelings slow me down.

Some days I feel like my heart will explode.

Figuratively.

Life gets hard. The questions overwhelm and I want to quit.

That's when I breathe... and keep moving.