If you’ve been reading the blog for any time, you should know that it’s general knowledge that I’m not the greatest runner in the world. I try hard and I am actually getting noticeably better but it’s still not my favorite activity in the world.
The other day I went out late for my run and decided to go on a different route than I normally do. The run was to be about 4.5 miles which is still somewhat of a stretch for me since I’m getting used to long[er] distance running. Now I can usually strike a good pace for a 5k or about 3 miles, however, after that, my endurance usually dies pretty quickly, my form goes to crap and I start whining like a little 12 year old girl.
As I started out on my run, Just as I was getting to that 3 mile mark, the rain started to come down in full force. It started off drizzling, but quickly turned into a downpour. As I started to pass the 3 mile mark I thought great, not only am I gonna lose my endurance here, but my clothes are soaking, the rain ain’t stopping and I’m still a few miles away from home. Awesome.
That’s when I realized I had a choice.
I could piss and moan and complain like a little 12 year old girl OR I could just man up, kick some a** and run through the rain.
The rain was just another obstacle, another place to make a decision and I could either resent it or embrace it. That’s it. Resenting it doesn’t do much good except for getting me upset and angry about something I can’t control. Embracing it gives me the power. When I accept the obstacle and look at it as a challenge to overcome, the onus is on me to figure out how to do it.
Looking at the two options, the latter was definitely more appealing so I embraced it. I kept on running, re-energized by thinking about all the positives of the situations rather than the negatives. Instead of being upset that I got to the halfway point before it started raining, I just kept telling myself, I was already halfway done. This seems like a simple switch but it’s absolutely amazing how your mindset changes when you do this. Immediately, I picked my head up, I focused on my form and I stopped complaining to myself. My thought process changed and it affected everything.
Instead of Thinking:
I’m halfway through my run. The first half was ridiculously hot and now it’s starting to rain. Great.
I Thought:
I’m halfway through my run. The first half was ridiculously hot and now it’s finally starting to cool down. Great!
Instead of Wondering:
Why I’m the only one stupid enough to be out here running in this downpour.
I Realized:
I’m the only one outside running in this downpour. I finally have a place of solitude all to myself.
Instead of Telling Myself:
It’s starting to monsoon. I’m getting soaked. Someone get me a poncho.
I Told Myself:
It’s starting to monsoon. I’m getting soaked. Not only will people think your shirt is wet because of your dedication to fitness but also the extra weight of you shirt being drenched with water may have additional benefits to your cardiovascular health as it acts as an inexpensive weight vest.
The first mindset pushes you closer to defeat. The second opens your up to a whole new realm of possibilities. I ended up finishing those 4.5 miles without a hitch…at an 8:10/mile pace no less! That’s a far cry from the 10+min/mile pace I ran last time I tried anything close to 5 miles.
Lesson learned. If I find myself resenting obstacles when they present themselves [and they always present themselves], I usually end up tripping, stumbling, quitting and ultimately failing. But, when I embrace them, I’m often surprised by how often I adapt, learn, grow and eventually succeed.
Embrace the obstacles. Run through the rain.
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[Photo Credit]
I have always enjoyed running in the rain. It feels refreshing. Another aspect of it is that most of my running was for the purpose of cross training for whatever sport I was involved in at the time. Running in the rain gave me a bit of a mental advantage, as I felt like I was doing something that my competition would not be willing to go through.
“Embracing it gives me the will power.” Well said. Embrace the suck.
Embrace the suck. EXACTLY =)
After I got over the initial “me being pissed that it was raining” and started embracing it, I actually almost enjoyed it! [don’t tell anyone though =)]
Joel, if you want a great book on running, you should read Slow Burn: Slow Down, Burn Fat, and Unlock the Energy Within by Stu Mittleman. Mittleman used to have the world record for the 1000-mile run (yes, one thousand miles). In the book, he talks about running form, how to deal mentally with running, how to work with your body so that you don’t run yourself down, nutrition, and other topics. Instead of the “No pain, no gain” mentality, he promotes strategies for recognizing the signals your body is giving you and gradually increasing your body’s capacity. I thought it was very interesting.
Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll definitely check it out!
I love running in the rain. Good for you for changing your mindset. So much of what we accomplish, whether sports or just life, has to do with how we look at it. I read a great article by a sports psychologist about how we tend to focus not on the pain we’re in, but on how bad we thing it’s ABOUT to get. Focusing on the here and now has helped me a lot in distance running and in dealing with some other things.
All that aside, what could be better than combining the euphoria of a good run with the soothing of a nice, hard shower? 🙂
Hey Sarah!-
Was that article online? If you have the link to it, I’d love to read it!
That sounds dead on. I’m usually not in terrible pain while running, but there’s this voice in the back of my mind that’s telling “It’s about to suck a lot.” It’s never actually as bad as I think it will be, but my mind is pretty convincing =)
Good article on perspective and outlook. How happy you are is entirely dependent on how you view what happens to you.
I actually like the rain a lot. =) Unless it’s a really hot rain, then it’s torture. Of course drying your shoes isn’t much fun.
And the kerning on your site is killing me. =) The spacing between letters is almost as great as that between words. I like the font, though. Just please, please remove the italics style form the comments. It kills readability.
Keep up the good work. =)
Thanks for the comment Fox. My shoes are actually really nasty now. Keeping them safe outside =)
As for the kerning and italics, I’ll see what I can do 😉
Way to embrace the obstacles! Running in the rain is pretty awesome. Another motto you might enjoy while you’re running that I’ve used is “If it were easy, everyone would do it.” It helps me feel like I’m doing something extraordinary that many people will never try in their lifetimes!
Jennifer-
I ran the other day and I actually found I missed the downpour. So refreshing!
Love that quote! It’s those hard things that really stretch and grow you as a person.
I love to run in the rain. It remains me when I was a kid how I enjoyed playing on the rain, and for who knows reason I’m not soppose to enjoy in my adulthood.
Also, for this comment:
” It’s starting to monsoon. I’m getting soaked. Not only will people think your shirt is wet because of your dedication to fitness but also the extra weight of you shirt being drenched with water may have additional benefits to your cardiovascular health as it acts as an inexpensive weight vest.”
…my set of mind would probably be… “who cares what other people think”.
I enjoy your posts. Keep up the good work 🙂
Thanks Pablo. I appreciate the kind words.
The monsoon comment was mostly a joke, but you make a good point. “Why do we care so much about what other people think?”