Here, let me share.
A couple of Saturdays ago, I went on a 12-mile run. I tell you this to let you know that I had 2 hours to do nothing but think about this. :) As I was running, I thought about all the lessons I have learned from running, and compared it to my life. I wanted to share it with you here.
- When you meet someone on the sidewalk going in the opposite direction, make room for them to pass. So often we pass by people in our busy daily walk that we don’t “see” them, or if we do, we just keep going without giving them particular attention. Several times on my run I passed by people who were walking or running with a partner, side by side on the sidewalk, and no one moved to make room for me to pass. I think it’s good manners and just plain considerate to make room for others.
- Your mind can make you believe you can’t do something when you are able. During the first mile, I fight a battle in my mind. It wants to convince me that I can’t make it that day, it tells me how hard it is, it reminds me of all the other things I could/should be doing instead of running. After about the first mile to mile and a half, my mind quiets as if it realizes that my body is going to win. There are times when I am facing a particularly hard challenge in life that my mind will go ahead and try to convince me that I won’t be successful or try to distract me from what I want/need to be doing. Since I have experienced this in my runs and understand that we as humans try to stay at equilibrium and comfortable in what we know to be true. If we attempt something that will take us out of our comfort zone, even though our mind tells us in the beginning that we can’t, we don’t need to listen to it, because when we press forward, our mind accepts it and we realize that we can do/accomplish whatever we want.
- Prepare for long runs. I knew I had my 12-mile run coming up, so all week I thought about it. I run a 6-mile loop, part trails and part sidewalks through neighborhoods and shopping villages. To run 12 miles, I run the loop twice. On Friday, I visualized myself doing the long run. I saw myself at the finish line, I saw myself finishing the first loop and restarting the second one. I really tried to feel the sense of accomplishment that I knew I was going to feel at the end of my run. I never asked myself IF I could do it – I only told myself that I COULD do it. In life, when there is something particularly challenging coming up, it’s important to prepare mentally and emotionally for it. Visualizing the process as well as a successful result will produce great rewards!
- Runners don’t fit a certain type. Where I run, there are lots of people who run or walk the loop, and they are all different shapes, sizes, and ages. I’m thankful that I get to see this, because it reminds me that I don’t have to be a certain “type” or fit a mold to be a “runner.” No runner on the path was trying to be anything else except for his or her best self as a runner. Sometimes in life we think that success belongs to another person, that “certain people” are right for certain jobs/circumstances/rewards. I have learned that there’s not a “type” for success. I have also learned that other people sometimes want us to be something different and fit a certain type. Running reminds me that I can only be my best ME.
- A small, kind act goes a long way. You may be thinking, “How does this fit in with her running metaphor?” Here’s how: On the running loop, there is a gas station at the halfway point. At this gas station, there are coolers of water and cups set out for runners to take a water break. I don’t know who does this (gas station employees? local running club?), but it is a refreshing stop and fills a need for many. It is a simple reminder to do kind things for others without recognition or self-promotion.
What are your thoughts on this? What are your own analogies?
Hugs,
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Fantastic post! You know #4 is my favorite, right?
SueMac – it’s one of my favorites, too! Glad you enjoyed the post!
Great thoughts. I often think someone should put out a book about “Why We Run” or “What I have Learned About Running.” I am going to think about this and start documenting my thoughts/feelings. Running is more than exercise. It is bigger than that! It is about accomplishing something, being better than we were yesterday, and encouraging others to join the running community. Great post!
Thanks, Joe, for the comment. I have had the smae thoughts. There’s a great (older) book called The Psychic Power of Running. You can find it on the Internet – it’s a worthwhile read!
Very cool blog. Thanks for you thoughts on running. I think running may be more than a metaphor for life. Although running can be apply to other aspects of our life, I think there’s a basic need to run. I thought it was just me and ohers who just loves running. But the more I look into it, the more I find our bodies are built to run and run long distances. In recent studies, a long lost art of persistant hunting was rediscovered. Man can actually chased down deer on foot and out-run horses on warm days. A competative edge for humans was actually our ability to run long distances.
Like you found, running a long distance can give you a great deal of satisfaction. We are capable of doing a lot more, if we set our minds to it. I think running actually gives us, very direclty a feeling that, “I can do it!” It energizes us to do other difficult things more easily. Many activities are like this but running is differently. It is primative and directly links us to our instinctive selves.
Great thoughts, Mark! I will have to check into the history of man and his abilities that you mention. I’m about to run my 3rd half-marathon, but ultimately my goal is to run a full marathon, and I agree with you — running long distances is very empowering. It’s a wonderful way for a person to set and meet short and long-term goals. I’ve only found terrific people who are in the running community. Thanks again for your comment!