I’ve been an avid runner for quite some time, although it’s been rather sporadic since my ex and I split up 5 years ago.  My jam was half-ironman triathlons, which is 1.2 mile swim, 56 miles on the bike and a half marathon at the end.  I was well-versed in running pretty long distances… with a marathon under my belt as well.

For quite some time, I’ve been focusing more on high intensity interval training, otherwise known as HIIT, and my endurance days have been on hiatus since May 2018.   But recently, I’ve had the bug to get back to my endurance roots… I have aspirations to get back into triathlons, and I would really love to do an Ironman in a couple of years.  But, I have lots of work to do before that can happen!

I hurt my knee doing yoga a few months ago, and it’s been hindering my ability to get back into long-distance running.  My achilles tendonitis has also been flaring up, which doesn’t help, either.  So, my re-entry into running has been a little frustrating to say the least.

On my morning run today, I had some really great thoughts that really apply not only to running, but life in general.  Read on to see what wisdom my morning run brought me. ? 

Slow Down.

I’m a “recovering perfectionist”, although now and then my perfectionist self does show up in my life. What I’ve realized is that when I have the desire to push, push, push in life (and running), I burn out, or “hit a wall”. What I really need to do is force myself to slow down. I need to recognize that I don’t need to all of the things perfectly all of the time. Slowing down gives me time to breathe and stay in the moment. Breathing is good.

Pace Yourself.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint… just like endurance running. Similar to slowing down running pace, do life at your own pace. Everyone is different and your pace might not be the same as someone else’s pace. If your pace is too fast, find a way to slow it down with self care, meditation, whatever you need to do. The goal is to reach the finish line, not fall over before you get there.

Honor Where You’re At.

Meet yourself where you are.  I’m currently running at a pretty slow pace compared to my past.  I have a couple of injuries and I’m trying to re-build that endurance and it’s really frustrating.  But, I can either let it be frustrating, or practice compassion toward myself and honor the place I am in my journey back to endurance distances.  We are always in choice, but choosing to accept where you are will help you get to your next level without burnout, exhaustion, anxiety or depression.

Be Proactive With Self-Care

In running, we like to practice something called a negative-split time.  This means that you start slower and finish faster.  The idea being that you build your speed through the race, instead of starting too fast and crashing.  This strategy tends to produce better times.

When I run, if I see my heart rate starting to climb, I know need to slow down so I can preserve my energy to finish my run strong.  I don’t want to end up hitting the wall toward the end of the race!

It’s just like life.  If you have a lot of stress in your life, or if you’re at a time where you really are having to push yourself, it’s always a good idea to care for yourself before you crash and burn.  This will allow to you keep going longer. Take some time for a bubble bath, some “me” time, meditation, a mani-pedi…. It will pay dividends later!

Listen to Your Body.

Finally, listen to your body.  What do you need?  In running, if you’re feeling tired, you slow down, drink fluids or consume calories to help you keep going.  If you’re hurting, you slow down a bit.  If your mind is telling you you can’t, you talk back to it and tell it that you can.

Listen to your body and listen to your mind.  Notice when you are having limiting thoughts and reframe them.  Notice when you’re exhausted and take care of yourself.  Notice when you’re in a difficult relationship with someone and need to find ways to manage that.  Slowing down and noticing what your body and mind are telling you can clue you into some pretty important stuff.

Even if you’re not a runner, these lessons apply to you too.  Be authentic, listen to your body and mind, slow down and stay present, pace yourself so you can actually finish the race, take care of yourself before you burn out and above all, honor where you are.  Meet yourself there and be kind.  You’ve got this!