Running taught me that sometimes the things I HATE are actually the things I secretly like or want to like. Or am afraid of liking. (!!!) Not that this has solved the problem for me totally or anything. 😂
I *totally* get that... especially before I got into it, my body was in a state of inertia, and oh man did it want to stay at rest. I feel like that with so many things, that I have so many self-imposed limitations, you know? And I thought they were imposed by the world around me, when really they were just me?
There's a song I love by Bruce Springsteen called "Living Proof," with these lyrics:
"You shot through my anger and rage
To show me my prison was just an open cage
There were no keys no guards
Just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars"
The first time I heard that, I was just floored... I try to remember it whenever that feeling comes back.
Running has been a HUGE eye-opener about the nature of progress over perfection, and the rewarding experience of improvement over time — concepts that I have struggled with my whole life.
I have always been (or was? ... Maybe still am, in theory?) a perfectionist. And a former overachiever. I excelled in school, across the board, though I never really had to work that hard for it. Everything came easily to me (well, except maybe statistics!), and I became used to the feeling of accomplishment and pride. However, without the sense of hard work and dedication and overcoming obstacles that comes with it.
Therefore, anything new that I tried that felt ACTUALLY hard? I opted out. Because the idea of failing was deeply uncomfortable, and I was completely unwilling to take on classes, hobbies, projects, or anything else that I didn't believe I'd be able to do quickly and perfectly the first time.
Obviously, this is not a realistic way to navigate life, and, as you can probably imagine, this tendency toward perfectionism and excellence made it difficult for me as I transitioned out of academics into adult life. (Of course, being diagnosed with anxiety, depression, mild OCD, and ADHD later in life were a big part of that, unbeknownst to me at the time)
Running? It did NOT come easily to me. And it still doesn't! Even at times in my life where I was in good physical shape, I struggled with running any time I tried. So, that led to many attempts of trying to run, getting frustrated after only a few times doing it, then deciding "it's just not for me."
I only truly began running 5 years ago, and it happened entirely on accident. I was doing a lot of walking, plus some elliptical at the gym, and one day on a nice fall afternoon while on a walk, I just had the urge to start running. I surprised myself by going two (slow!) miles without stopping! I had never done that before in my life. And then... I did it again. The next time, with a few stops, but I still did it. Somehow, I managed to go from that first two-mile run to completing a 5K distance, and then a five mile distance all within a matter of two months!
Something had finally clicked: I don't *HAVE* to do things perfectly for them to be worthwhile. For my entire life, that's how I had measured whether I should invest myself and my time into something new. What can give me that instant gratification and sense of self-worth? Running has taught me that some of the best rewards in life take time, dedication, persistence, and resilience through setbacks and obstacles. This is a lesson I've been trying to apply to how I approach work, trying new things, working on personal projects... Everything!
I'm grateful for ALL the ways in which running has re-wired my brain!
Rebecca this is so, so, so interesting, especially the part about how one way of being the world worked *really* well in one world (academics) but not so much when you got out of college. I think about this a lot; I can be the way you describe and I know my now 13-year-old son can -- it's hard to get him to try things he thinks he's not good at. It's letting ourselves be not good at something that we grow from -- but that's such a hard fact to accept when things didn't work that way in another area you were successful in, right? Really love that you shared all this -- I can relate!
Running taught me that my body is capable of amazing things. Growing up as an overweight kid who was not athletic or particularly coordinated, I have always focused on developing my mind and mostly ignored my body as capable of anything impressive. When I lost all the weight and started working out - and running - that all changed. After I had run a mile without stopping (for the first time in my life) and then 2 miles, and then 3... my oldest daughter said: why don't you run this half-marathon with me. I thought 13 (!) miles was a crazy thing to attempt, but I signed up. And I did it. 13.1 miles felt like an impossible achievement. But it made me want to do a full (one day...) and see how much more my body can do.
Running (particularly ultrarunning) has taught me that none of this stuff is really complicated. It just takes some tenacity, patience, and belief. Most of the time, if we feel overwhelmed or daunted, it's because we're intimidated by the outcome. But if you lean into the process, and if you embrace the highs, the lows, the good, and the bad, you'll see that you're capable of achieving things that at one time seemed impossible.
I was (and am) a huge nerd and I was scared of jocks when I first joined my run club. But it was a delightful surprise to learn that while some jocks are snobbish and unwelcoming (like some people from all walks of life) that for the most part the runners I’ve met are incredibly supportive and encouraging and have made me happier and better than I thought I could be.
Another great side effect of that: my non runner friends saw how happy and more in shape running made me and have now taken it up themselves and it’s improving their lives. The most wonderful ripple effect!
Running taught me that sometimes the things I HATE are actually the things I secretly like or want to like. Or am afraid of liking. (!!!) Not that this has solved the problem for me totally or anything. 😂
I *totally* get that... especially before I got into it, my body was in a state of inertia, and oh man did it want to stay at rest. I feel like that with so many things, that I have so many self-imposed limitations, you know? And I thought they were imposed by the world around me, when really they were just me?
There's a song I love by Bruce Springsteen called "Living Proof," with these lyrics:
"You shot through my anger and rage
To show me my prison was just an open cage
There were no keys no guards
Just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars"
The first time I heard that, I was just floored... I try to remember it whenever that feeling comes back.
Whoa. Yes, exactly.
This is a great question.
Running has taught me resilience, perseverance, and the importance of never giving up, even when success seems out of reach.
I've learned that setbacks aren't failures, and sometimes you have to try, try, and try again.
Just as important, running has taught me patience. Progress takes time, consistency, and trust in the training process.
Not every run will be a good one, and not every race will go as planned. But some of the greatest lessons come from the toughest miles.
And those lessons carry well beyond running.
Love this so much, Jenn!
I taught me that I am NOT a runner. 🤣🏃♀️👟
LOL! Ok now I've gotta hear more!
Novel incoming!
Running has been a HUGE eye-opener about the nature of progress over perfection, and the rewarding experience of improvement over time — concepts that I have struggled with my whole life.
I have always been (or was? ... Maybe still am, in theory?) a perfectionist. And a former overachiever. I excelled in school, across the board, though I never really had to work that hard for it. Everything came easily to me (well, except maybe statistics!), and I became used to the feeling of accomplishment and pride. However, without the sense of hard work and dedication and overcoming obstacles that comes with it.
Therefore, anything new that I tried that felt ACTUALLY hard? I opted out. Because the idea of failing was deeply uncomfortable, and I was completely unwilling to take on classes, hobbies, projects, or anything else that I didn't believe I'd be able to do quickly and perfectly the first time.
Obviously, this is not a realistic way to navigate life, and, as you can probably imagine, this tendency toward perfectionism and excellence made it difficult for me as I transitioned out of academics into adult life. (Of course, being diagnosed with anxiety, depression, mild OCD, and ADHD later in life were a big part of that, unbeknownst to me at the time)
Running? It did NOT come easily to me. And it still doesn't! Even at times in my life where I was in good physical shape, I struggled with running any time I tried. So, that led to many attempts of trying to run, getting frustrated after only a few times doing it, then deciding "it's just not for me."
I only truly began running 5 years ago, and it happened entirely on accident. I was doing a lot of walking, plus some elliptical at the gym, and one day on a nice fall afternoon while on a walk, I just had the urge to start running. I surprised myself by going two (slow!) miles without stopping! I had never done that before in my life. And then... I did it again. The next time, with a few stops, but I still did it. Somehow, I managed to go from that first two-mile run to completing a 5K distance, and then a five mile distance all within a matter of two months!
Something had finally clicked: I don't *HAVE* to do things perfectly for them to be worthwhile. For my entire life, that's how I had measured whether I should invest myself and my time into something new. What can give me that instant gratification and sense of self-worth? Running has taught me that some of the best rewards in life take time, dedication, persistence, and resilience through setbacks and obstacles. This is a lesson I've been trying to apply to how I approach work, trying new things, working on personal projects... Everything!
I'm grateful for ALL the ways in which running has re-wired my brain!
Rebecca this is so, so, so interesting, especially the part about how one way of being the world worked *really* well in one world (academics) but not so much when you got out of college. I think about this a lot; I can be the way you describe and I know my now 13-year-old son can -- it's hard to get him to try things he thinks he's not good at. It's letting ourselves be not good at something that we grow from -- but that's such a hard fact to accept when things didn't work that way in another area you were successful in, right? Really love that you shared all this -- I can relate!
The goal setting aspect and also the meditative aspect of it
Running taught me that my body is capable of amazing things. Growing up as an overweight kid who was not athletic or particularly coordinated, I have always focused on developing my mind and mostly ignored my body as capable of anything impressive. When I lost all the weight and started working out - and running - that all changed. After I had run a mile without stopping (for the first time in my life) and then 2 miles, and then 3... my oldest daughter said: why don't you run this half-marathon with me. I thought 13 (!) miles was a crazy thing to attempt, but I signed up. And I did it. 13.1 miles felt like an impossible achievement. But it made me want to do a full (one day...) and see how much more my body can do.
Running (particularly ultrarunning) has taught me that none of this stuff is really complicated. It just takes some tenacity, patience, and belief. Most of the time, if we feel overwhelmed or daunted, it's because we're intimidated by the outcome. But if you lean into the process, and if you embrace the highs, the lows, the good, and the bad, you'll see that you're capable of achieving things that at one time seemed impossible.
I was (and am) a huge nerd and I was scared of jocks when I first joined my run club. But it was a delightful surprise to learn that while some jocks are snobbish and unwelcoming (like some people from all walks of life) that for the most part the runners I’ve met are incredibly supportive and encouraging and have made me happier and better than I thought I could be.
Another great side effect of that: my non runner friends saw how happy and more in shape running made me and have now taken it up themselves and it’s improving their lives. The most wonderful ripple effect!