Accepting where you are: Lessons I've learned throughout my running journey.

My journey has taught me so much about myself. It has increased my mental strength, shown me I am capable of much more than I thought, that failure isn't necessarily a bad thing, and it's all right to slow down and enjoy the scenery.

Below are a few lessons I've learned through running.

2020 Trail Hike

I learned to stop thinking of "slow" as a four-letter word.

I used to run every run much too fast! I wanted immediate results, but when I didn't see them, it affected my confidence. I thought you always ran fast to build speed... right? Well, that mindset plagued me with niggled and injuries.

I learned the hard way that running all my runs too fast was doing the opposite of what I'd intended. It was having a detrimental effect on my body. I've learned to try to slow down to focus on how my body feels to help my body recover. I am now stronger for it.

I learned to be patient with myself.

Running is a process that takes time and I had to learn to accept where I am. The body needs time to adapt, there's no instant gratification. Following a structured training plan helped me adapt safely to the training load.

Unfortunately, there's no magic running pill, you have to be consistent and do the work. Learning to be patient took me a lot of practice!

I learned that I do measure up.

I used to compare myself to other people. At races I'd see other runners and think about how they looked so much fitter and FASTER than me. I just didn't think I measured up. Impostor syndrome hit me hard!

In my personal life other people seemed so skilled in specific areas, but they were also passionate in those areas. I had to learn that we can become experts in the areas we are most passionate about. We don't have to be an expert in every area to contribute, we all have our strengths.

I learned to believe I could do it.

This may sound cheesy, but I had to "believe" I could! If you don't believe you can do something, you probably won't. Make sense?

Take a look at the photos below, I don't look that much different but I'm progressively stronger in each photo. My physical and mental endurance has improved. I put in the work and progressed from 1/2 marathons (13.1 miles) to 50k's (just over 31 miles) in just over two years.

The photo on the left was at the 2018 Disney Wine and Dine 1/2 marathon. I'd done multiple half marathons, but didn't believe I was capable of running a full marathon. Back then I was afraid to give it a try.

The middle photo is from the 2019 Rock "n" Roll Las Vegas Marathon. This was my first full marathon and it had a 5-hour cutoff, so I ran without walk breaks. I told myself I didn't train all year to get swept and finished with just 8 minutes left. That was close! Finishing the marathon felt so empowering that I knew I'd be back for more.

The photo on the right is from The ET Full Moon 50k, my 2nd 50k this year if you'd like to read about it. In this photo, I ran all night without sleep. I think I look pretty fresh in that photo, am I getting stronger or is this some magic photo trickery?

I learned that I actually prefer the longer races because I put less pressure on myself. I enjoy taking in the scenery and talking to people along the way.

I learned that it's Ok to struggle.

To anyone struggling with their run, or life journey, I've struggled too. I've learned from my good days and bad days. It's Ok to have a hard run from time to time. While training for my first 50k, I learned that the most challenging days in training were what prepared me for anything come race day.

I've learned to just keep going.

This one's pretty self-explanatory — I've learned to just keep going. Let's be honest, I don't like getting up early! I don't always like running as many miles as my training plan calls for. It would be easier to throw in the towel every now and then.

Heck... sometimes I flat out fail! If I don't set a PR, or have a great run that's okay. I love running! Every run teaches me more about myself. Even when I want to quit, I'm always happy afterwards that I stuck with it.

I have all kinds of days; good, bad, and in between, but each run builds off of the previous one and helps me become better in the long run. During a race, I tell myself things like, "I'm already here so all I have to do now is just keep going."

2019 Summerlin half marathon

Most of all, I've learned I love running unconditionally!

Thanks for reading. One day I hope a 50 miler will be on the horizon! I'm not sure when quite yet, but with proper training, I'll get there. There's no hurry since my journey has no finish line. I'll just keep going because well, I love running!

What has running taught you about yourself?

Where would you like your run journey to take you? Have a great week.

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