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Let’s see if you can figure out this math question: Consistency + Intensity = what?

This has been something I have just discovered about myself as I have been on my fitness journey. I have been a runner for about two years now and it has to be the best thing I’ve ever done for myself physically & mentally. I, myself, have dealt with challenges all through my life. I am proud to say that I have become an expert on tackling challenges and have a strong skill of proving people wrong and beating odds. One way in recent times that I beat the odds was deciding to start running as a hobby. That turned out to be not only a new hobby, but a lifestyle change for the foreseeable future.

I remember some of the first hurdles and challenges I have dealt with were proving to people that I was able to do anything I put my mind, energy, and effort to. Some of those things that people looked down on me or doubted I could do because I was seen as the person who’s “autistic”. Yes, I am autistic, but no, that does not give me any limitations at all. I have learned that autism is heavily stigmatized. It is so stigmatized that people use it as a meme, or a pathway for jokes. Seeing such memes or someone using autism as a joke has been a substantial motivation for me as a runner. It has been a fire lit inside of me to push even harder. This required me taking steps in order to make my actions scream louder than words.

A correlation I have observed all of my life is how different people have treated me when I tell them I’m autistic, or that they know of my autism. It makes me cringe heavily how different I get treated because of my autism. People treat me like I am a package with a “fragile: hand with care” sticker. A component for why my consistency and intensity is so important and cavernous is because I want to prove to everyone that I can do anything I can put my mind to. People always see me as a second or third option: it is rare that I am seen as a main priority. Weight training and running has dismissed that negative thought of mine as it has helped me align my priorities and goals I am actively pursuing and taking heavy initiative on.

This includes being consistent: following a strong and doable routine. As my consistency builds on, I add in intensity by a slight amount each week. How do I make this achievable? I show up and put in full effort. The statement, “You get out what you put in” has been a heavy emphasis when it comes to training for marathons, half marathons, and in changing my lifestyle in general. From adding a small increase of miles per week, to adding 10lbs into my weightlifting efforts weekly into my routine of sets and reps, these have been some ways I have been adding consistency and intensity to my lifestyle changes for the better. For the past two years, I have been proving myself that I am getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. As I was able to successfully run my first half and full marathon within my first year of running, I added in weightlifting to make my running experience even stronger. That has been something besides running that truly has boosted my confidence.

So with the consistency of my workout and running routine each week, plus the slight increase of intensity weekly, it all adds up to my legacy. My legacy, to me, includes the ups and downs. I’ve managed to overcome so many obstacles in all of my life, I could go on for hours. To name a few. I have managed to be a first generational college student as I was the second member of my family to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. A more recent accomplishment of mine is to get accepted into grad school in my dream school for obtaining my Master’s Degree. The fact that I am juggling being a full time grad student, working part time, managing to get the gym time I need and the miles I need to get in is impressive, to me. I know that all of my sacrifice of showing more grit will be worth it as I cross the finish line once again at the Chicago Marathon this October. It is such a privilege to run it back-to-back with OAR raising awareness and support for such a special organization for such a personal cause.

Consistency + Intensity = Emphasizing my Legacy.