Lessons from the Bear Trail - A random aside

While in graduate school, I breifly attempted to take up what seems to be a favorite passed time of my fellow Bears: jogging. This has been an on again/off again goal of mine for several years prior to starting this actually successful attempt in May. Anyways - the trail around campus is about a 2 mile square and my goal was to jog the first mile and then walk/jog the second. I only jogged the whole thing once and it was SO slow it barely counts. :) I wrote this based upon my observations from my trips to the trail. I hope it makes you laugh or motivates you to keep trying :)


Lessons from the Bear Trail
(In no particular order)

1. There is no perfect shade of lipstick to go with “Hold up! I think my heart is going to explode!” So, get out there and don’t worry about your makeup!

2. Wear a hat! It serves multiple functions:

a. It helps to hide the flaws you would normally cover with make-up
b. It hides and keeps out of your face your not washed hair (Be eco-friendly people! There is no point in showering before you go jogging, because you are going to have to shower again when you get back.)
c. People can’t see your face, they think they know you, they wave – it makes the Trail a friendlier place to be.

3. The only person you are competing with is yourself – Just ignore the track stars and concentrate on not hyperventilating

4. It is a baby step process – Step One: Get your lazy butt off the couch and on the Bear Trail!

5. Be realistic! You are not going to set any world records your first lap around. Instead, set personal goals like: Jog a whole mile, or get from your door back to your door in 30 minutes. (Those are mine, but you are free to use them)

6. As the Tortoise and the Hare taught us: slow and steady wins the race. Rather than using up all of your energy right off the starting block, slow down some and your energy will last you longer.

7. Be your own cheerleader! It is vital to your success that you are on your own side. Telling yourself you can’t do it, defeats the whole purpose. Of course you can’t do it right now – if you could it wouldn’t be a goal, it would be an accomplishment! However, you CAN do it in the future if you WORK at it! If you want to reach and exceed your goals your mantra should be “Just a little bit further! You can do it! Just keep going!”

8. The best time to jog is Sunday morning: it is not too hot, all of the good Baylor students are at church, and the bad ones are still in bed – so there aren’t as many people to watch you jog.  (By morning, I mean around 11am - If you were going to get up earlier you should go to church.)

9. Celebrate even the smallest achievements! Cut yourself some slack and be proud of yourself every step of the way. It may take some time to reach your goals, but the fact that you are out there and trying is something to be excited about in and of itself!

10. Not everyone should be running around in tiny shorts and a sports bra. DO NOT feel like you have to be one of those girls to utilize the Bear Trail. It is public space and you have as much right to be there as those model wannabes, so DON’T be intimidated by them. Just wear comfortable clothes and jog your way into the sports bra and tiny shorts! (Or continue to wear clothes because you aren’t a tacky, shallow person who feels you have to flaunt your small waist: whatever works best for you.)


I hope these lessons benefit you as they have me! HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU!! 