You can't do that

It's amazing how being told "you can't do that" makes me want to do exactly that.

It takes me back to middle school, when a softball coach told my dad that I would never be good enough to make the all star team. My dad told me what the coach had said, and then asked me if I wanted to prove him wrong. For the next year, I busted my tail and made the "B" team, and the following year, after even more practice, I made the "A" team and ended the season with the highest batting average on the team. Not bad for a girl who's not terribly athletic.

I love a challenge...

Or in high school when my parents said I couldn't date a certain boy. Oh my goodness, how I wanted him after that! (I dated him anyway... but they were right... he was trouble.)

I am stubborn...

And now I'm an adult, and I have a total love-hate relationship with running. Even though I ran a half-marathon in 2008, even though I'm on the board for a major marathon event, even though many people think I'm a runner, I dread it. I haven't wanted to do it for a long time...

Until I was told I couldn't. Two months of being sick and five rounds of antibiotics meant I barely had enough energy to go to work, much less work out. So I gained 10 pounds. And because I couldn't work out (and because none of my pants fit), it made me crave running. I was desperate for it.

So last week I was finally healthy, off antibiotics, and able to run. The weather was gorgeous, and I ran three nights around the lake by my house. I did crunches, and lunges, and push-ups. It was pure bliss.

Who knew it'd take two months of being sick to revive my love of running. I needed to be told "no" to appreciate it. Now I can't wait... I'll be back up there tonight.