Don't Judge A Book... Or Something

Assumptions. Everyone makes them, and I don't know why. Okay, well I do know why, but I think it's something that we (I'm including all of you), or at least just myself, need to stop doing. Because you know what they say.. if you assume, you're just making an ass out of u and me.

Did I just get a little too real, a little too early in the morning? My bad.

So I'm going to tell you a little story, and it goes a little something like this...

Once upon a time (this past weekend), there was a girl and a boy okay screw this, it was me and Justin... I'm really not good at telling stories (fail of a blogger right here). So lets back track here, remember how on September 2nd I started a 90-Day Challenge to kick my health and fitness booty into high gear and finally melt the last of this weight (about 50-ish pounds) off my body. Well, when I set this plan into motion, Justin (that lovely boyfriend of mine) decided he wanted to do it with me, so we've been going balls to the wall (so to speak) with eating clean.

We are currently allowing ourselves to have one cheat meal per week (usually on Friday/Saturday). Since we were going to my friends housewarming party on Saturday night, Justin chose to have beer as his cheat meal last week so that he could drink with the boys. Well because of this, I made him promise that on Sunday night he would go on a nice long walk with me.
Sidenote: I've asked Justin to go on a walk (or run) with me about a few dozen times since we've started dating, and it has never happened. But I made him promise that this time would be different.

So on Sunday night we got ready, put on our workout clothes and off we went for a nice long walk. After about 20 minutes into the walk, Justin decides that he's feeling great and wants to run some intervals (how cute, I thought). Since Justin hasn't worked out in at least a year, and doesn't seem like he can walk OR run far, I decide to let him run the interval alone while I watch, and I know that I'll sprint to catch up to him once he stops running. Well, I watch as he runs.. and runs.. and runs. Finally when he's about 500-600 meters away from me, I realize he's not stopping... so I sprint. Full on sprint. I run as hard and as fast as I can (and since I've fallen of the running-wagon the past few months, it's not nearly as hard or as fast as I think it is). I probably looked a little something like this:

Just as I was about 100 feet from catching up to him, I started coughing and had to stop (I had a cold the days leading up to this and clearly hadn't fully recovered). But also, I'm just severely out of shape and needed a rest. So I stop running and switch back to walking, Justin continues to just run run run.. and run some more. I watched in sheer amazement as he ran completely out of my sight. My first thought was 'Holy crap that's impressive' and I was so proud of him. Then I quickly realized how out of shape I was and sprinted to finally catch up to him. When I reached him (he had FINALLY switched back to walking), I was sweating profusely and breathing like someone who should have been strapped to an oxygen tank, Justin was just walking with a complete and pure calmness - no sweat, no out of breath-ness, nothing. He smiled a huge smile and said 'I feel amazing!'

                                                       

I was shocked. Absolutely, 100%, no doubt about it - shocked. How could this man who hadn't worked out in a year, and who complained about knee pain while WALKING anywhere with me, and who walked at about 1/3 of my normal pace, run further than me and make it seem so effortless? I quickly started to feel insecure about my inabilities running along side him. But he never once judged me, he only pushed me to better myself.

I'll admit it, I was embarrassed. Justin wanted to continue to run intervals throughout the rest of walk, so we did. He pushed me, acted like a coach and yelled not to stop or slow down when I was getting tired. He told me to slow my breathing and try and keep a good steady jogging pace (instead of trying to sprint my intervals like I'm so used to). This man, who I had so greatly underestimated was teaching me the absolute true value in never judging a book by it's cover. Let me tell you, friends - this was a very humbling experience for me.

We have since gone for another run together and it went really well. I'm scared and nervous to run with him because I'm insecure about my abilities next to his, but I know that I have nothing to fear. Justin will push me harder than I'll push myself, and he will be there to support me throughout this entire process. I'm excited to have him teach me how to properly run - pace, breathing, stretching properly. 

I went into this whole 'challenge' expecting to have to push Justin, and encourage him along the way to stick with eating clean and working out, and to be his 'coach' of sorts. I wasn't expecting the roles to be reversed, and I wasn't expecting to learn such a valuable lesson (and in the first week nonetheless). It just goes to show that you really can't judge a book by it's cover, or something.