I do some of my best thinking when I’m running. It puts me in a state of flow, or just being.

I’m doing another half-marathon in May.  I haven’t done one in a couple of years due to some knee and Achilles issues, which completely sucks.  But I am tired of not being able to run, so I am back at it.  Carefully.

One thing the people closest to me know is that I’m a super goal-oriented person.  For years, I’ve raced with time goals in mind, and I’ve trained accordingly.  This is my way, and I’ve always enjoyed the challenge, and the work.

But I’m finding myself not loving the goals when it comes to running (and some other things in my life, too).  I get frustrated with my paces.  I don’t want to give in to the idea that I’m getting older and therefore, slower.  As I age, I’m having a hard time re-adjusting my goals for things like loss of fitness or, well… aging.   

Yesterday, faced with an interval run, I found myself dreading it.  Dreading hitting my paces and the soreness that would set in afterwards.  Sometimes, my body feels simply broken.

A thought fleeted across my brain:  “How would it feel to just enjoy running for the sheer joy of it?”. 

Maybe I would enjoy running just for the sheer joy of it.

Hm.  What?  Me?  Even if I’m slow?

What if I were to just embrace whatever pace I was at that day – to honor the body that shows up in that moment?  To enjoy what is put in front of me with no attachment to what is, what was or what could be?

Feels pretty good just thinking about it.

Just Being is Powerful

Life is busy.  We take on too much.  We struggle with overwhelm.  We beat ourselves up for not ticking off all the things on the to-do list. We try to be people that fit a version of who we (or others) think we “should” be, not who we really are.

Have you ever tried just being?

I have had glimpses of it, and it is beautiful, friends.  

What is “just being”?

It’s feeling unattached to the moment.  It’s awareness of what’s around you. It’s feeling connected to your true self.

You are Enough Just as You Are

You have no one to impress.  You just are.  Each day is different.  Our bodies and our minds have something different to bring to the table each day.  What would it feel like if you just sat with how you were showing up each day?  What would it feel like to observe your body and your mind and adjust your expectations of yourself accordingly?

Whatever you have to bring to the table each day is enough.  I want you to know that.  I want you to feel that in your bones.  

You are enough. Just as you are. Right now.

We are All Doing our Best

We might not always feel like we’re doing our best, and sometimes maybe we could do better.  But have you considered that on any given day, with the circumstances that are put in front of you, you are doing the best you can in that moment?

I really believe this.  I don’t think we always do what we are capable of, but sometimes we aren’t able to perform to our full capability.  

Here’s an example:

I did my first Half-Ironman triathlon in 2011, I think.  I’ve done a total of 4 or 5 – I lose track, but that first race, I finished with a way better time than I thought I would.  I knew if everything went perfect, I could probably do it, but it was my first race, so I was conservative in my expectations. My finish time for the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run was 5 hours and 40 minutes on the nose.  

The next year, I trained hard to beat that record, but the weekend prior to my race, I wasn’t thinking, and played in the parents vs. kids soccer game at my son’s end-of-year soccer picnic. Now, I’m a competitive person, and I went all out. It fried my legs and I underestimated the toll it would take on the fuel reserves in my body.

On race day, I knew I was capable of crushing my 5:40:00 time.  But on that day, I didn’t have it.  I didn’t have enough in the tank.  I didn’t perform to my full capability, but I performed to the potential I had on that day.

I did my best.  My best did not feel good, but on that day, it was my best.

Be Gentle to Yourself and …Just BE

Friends, I want you to be gentle on yourself in the coming days.  No judgment. Meditate, observe nature, hug your kids.  Focus on your breath, journal, practice gratitude.

Practice the joy of BEING.

I know you’ll love it just as much as I do. ❤️

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