How Cross Training Helps My Running!

From my blog you can tell I like to vary my activities. I've done horseback riding, Skiing, hiking, cross-ramp, swimming, biking, trail /road/treadmill running, soccer, and resistance training to name a few. I'm trying to keep it fresh and fun. While I love to run, I need variety that cross training provides, to keep me motivated to keep going.

My cross training is going to start varying a lot this winter. As the days get colder and darker, I need a lot of variety. Right now, I'm hooked on soccer. Its super challenging.  It looked easy watching on the sidelines at my kids games. Now I know looks are deceiving. I know better to think an over weight woman is no challenge. They might not be able to run far, but they can run fast to the ball. They can do some fancy foot work and have a hard kick to the ball. I didn't play much soccer growing up. My only ball playing time was during a friendly game of kick ball with neighborhood kids. I loved that game. 

Out on the soccer field, I feel like I have two left feet and they aren't in sync with each other. It takes more skill then I have to make contact with the ball, control it and pass or shoot at the net. Even sprinting against the other soccer peeps is a challenge right now. Of course I'm a newbie and have a lot to learn. Just like when I started running, I didn't learn it all the first time I set foot out the door to run a mile. It took many days/year of running to start figuring out what works and what doesn't for me. My main goal to play soccer was to just work on speed and have fun doing it. I don't enjoy running fast because it hurts. I knew playing soccer would take my mind off the hurt of sprinting. I'd be focused on playing the game instead of the pain of running fast. The ball foot work training is an added bonus of playing the game. I just have to remember what my main goal is and just have fun. Don't over think the whole soccer game and feeling like I've let myself down and my team with my lack of skills. 

I sure wish soccer would have been a sport I'd played more. I was in swimming which shared the same season as soccer for girls. It was one or the other and Swimming won out!

Soccer will make me stronger. It already has because I did something out of my comfort zone. Something I am not skilled at, but I'm trying and working on my own goals. Running has taught me so much about myself and what I'm capable of. Plus, soccer like in running.. its a process and its tough. Tough will challenge and that's what I look for.. Something to challenge myself and to keep growing as a person in whatever I choose to do.