Quitting is not something I do often. I have always played sports and I have always been competitive. Quitting has never really been an option for me, because that’s just not how my brain works. If something gets tough, I keep trying. I’ve always had a pretty strong mentality, at least as far as sports go.
Running, however, is so unlike softball, volleyball, basketball, and all the other team sports. In all of these activities, I was a part of a team. As a team, you work with others to achieve a common goal, and as a team you either win or you lose. If you win, you rejoice with your teammates, and when you lose you work together with your team to train harder, play harder, and work together to come out on top during the next competition. If you make a mistake, your team picks you back up. If you are having a rough game, your coach can replace you with a sub. You’re never really alone, because you aren’t just playing for you. There is no "I" in TEAM.
In running, there actually is an "I" and it’s what it’s all about. "How am I going to finish this run?", "I need to go faster if I want to beat my goal", "How am I going to finish this race?". It’s a crazy mental game that only really involves one person. Running you are on your own. By yourself, you work to achieve a goal, and by yourself you either win or you lose. There isn’t even a “win” or a “loss” in running. We have good runs and we have bad runs. Sometimes we try to beat times. If you beat your time, you rejoice with and for yourself, and when you fail to beat a time you work by yourself to train harder to do better during the next run. If you make a mistake, you have to pick yourself back up. If you are having a rough day, there are no substitutions. You either keep going, or you quit.
Running came easy to me in the beginning. There really isn’t much to it. One foot in front of the other. Over and over again. Right? Right. But, there is SO much more involved now that I’m shooting for this whole Marathon thing. Running IS easy. It is. But, running 26.2 miles is not. Hell, running 12 miles, 13.1 miles, 15 miles is NOT. Yes, you simply run. One foot in front of the other. Over and over again. But, during more miles than not, your mind is telling you that “You can’t do it”, “It’s getting too tough”, “Why don’t you just stop now? Maybe 5 miles was enough”. Your mind tells you “Your foot hurts a little, how about you stop”, “It’s super hot out, let’s just call it a day”. I have never been a quitter, but during my first ever 15 mile run, I realized why some people might quit this. I’m sure this voice is the reason some people hate running and why they never even make it past mile 1, And, maybe being able to ignore that voice is what separates other athletes from runners.
During my first 15 mile run, I not only felt like crap from a bad pre-run food choice, but I just wasn’t having a good run in general. I felt lousy. I just kept pondering why I even decided to train for a Marathon. I wondered if I’d even be able to finish the race. I thought about how embarrassing it would be to not be able to finish on Race Day. All of this negativity, along with my mind harassing me with reasons to stop, I somehow managed to finish this awful run (interject comment about how my awesome boyfriend was running, too, and this was likely the real reason I continued in this misery). To get through it, I thought about how I knew my body could do it, it wasn’t a matter of that. I knew I had trained my body to be able to make it the 15 miles and I knew my body was strong enough. I worked against the mental negativity going on inside my head, and I think that’s the hardest part about running. Some people can push through it, and those who can't push through it don't run.
There is an "I" in Running. I set my own goals, I train for myself and by myself (even if I’m not running alone), and I either succeed or fail based on the standards I set for myself. Running is amazing and tough in that way. I’ve realized why so many people hate running, but I also think that maybe they never gave it a chance because their mind made them quit before they could feel the joy of what running really is. There is something to say about a sport that is all about you. You are your coach. You are your cheerleader. You are your own teammate. (And, sometimes your own athletic trainer). Being all of these things, means that you are really all that matters in this sport. You rely on you.
So, to wrap up this belaboring: my 15 miles didn’t feel great, but I can tell you that I’m glad I finished it. And how I feel about it, is what matters. I know that I worked hard to push through to the end and I’m proud of that. That’s what sets this sport apart from others. I didn’t do as great as I would have liked. I didn’t go as fast as I can usually go. I didn’t even feel very great most of the time. But, I finished and that counts for a whole lot. And, as long as my feet, legs, and my lungs keep working, I will not quit until I get to those 26.2. Why? Because it is a challenge and challenges are important in life. Because it makes me feel good to push my body to new limits. For so many reasons that I can’t type them all. And, because quitting has never really been an option for me!
Running, however, is so unlike softball, volleyball, basketball, and all the other team sports. In all of these activities, I was a part of a team. As a team, you work with others to achieve a common goal, and as a team you either win or you lose. If you win, you rejoice with your teammates, and when you lose you work together with your team to train harder, play harder, and work together to come out on top during the next competition. If you make a mistake, your team picks you back up. If you are having a rough game, your coach can replace you with a sub. You’re never really alone, because you aren’t just playing for you. There is no "I" in TEAM.
In running, there actually is an "I" and it’s what it’s all about. "How am I going to finish this run?", "I need to go faster if I want to beat my goal", "How am I going to finish this race?". It’s a crazy mental game that only really involves one person. Running you are on your own. By yourself, you work to achieve a goal, and by yourself you either win or you lose. There isn’t even a “win” or a “loss” in running. We have good runs and we have bad runs. Sometimes we try to beat times. If you beat your time, you rejoice with and for yourself, and when you fail to beat a time you work by yourself to train harder to do better during the next run. If you make a mistake, you have to pick yourself back up. If you are having a rough day, there are no substitutions. You either keep going, or you quit.
Running came easy to me in the beginning. There really isn’t much to it. One foot in front of the other. Over and over again. Right? Right. But, there is SO much more involved now that I’m shooting for this whole Marathon thing. Running IS easy. It is. But, running 26.2 miles is not. Hell, running 12 miles, 13.1 miles, 15 miles is NOT. Yes, you simply run. One foot in front of the other. Over and over again. But, during more miles than not, your mind is telling you that “You can’t do it”, “It’s getting too tough”, “Why don’t you just stop now? Maybe 5 miles was enough”. Your mind tells you “Your foot hurts a little, how about you stop”, “It’s super hot out, let’s just call it a day”. I have never been a quitter, but during my first ever 15 mile run, I realized why some people might quit this. I’m sure this voice is the reason some people hate running and why they never even make it past mile 1, And, maybe being able to ignore that voice is what separates other athletes from runners.
During my first 15 mile run, I not only felt like crap from a bad pre-run food choice, but I just wasn’t having a good run in general. I felt lousy. I just kept pondering why I even decided to train for a Marathon. I wondered if I’d even be able to finish the race. I thought about how embarrassing it would be to not be able to finish on Race Day. All of this negativity, along with my mind harassing me with reasons to stop, I somehow managed to finish this awful run (interject comment about how my awesome boyfriend was running, too, and this was likely the real reason I continued in this misery). To get through it, I thought about how I knew my body could do it, it wasn’t a matter of that. I knew I had trained my body to be able to make it the 15 miles and I knew my body was strong enough. I worked against the mental negativity going on inside my head, and I think that’s the hardest part about running. Some people can push through it, and those who can't push through it don't run.
There is an "I" in Running. I set my own goals, I train for myself and by myself (even if I’m not running alone), and I either succeed or fail based on the standards I set for myself. Running is amazing and tough in that way. I’ve realized why so many people hate running, but I also think that maybe they never gave it a chance because their mind made them quit before they could feel the joy of what running really is. There is something to say about a sport that is all about you. You are your coach. You are your cheerleader. You are your own teammate. (And, sometimes your own athletic trainer). Being all of these things, means that you are really all that matters in this sport. You rely on you.
So, to wrap up this belaboring: my 15 miles didn’t feel great, but I can tell you that I’m glad I finished it. And how I feel about it, is what matters. I know that I worked hard to push through to the end and I’m proud of that. That’s what sets this sport apart from others. I didn’t do as great as I would have liked. I didn’t go as fast as I can usually go. I didn’t even feel very great most of the time. But, I finished and that counts for a whole lot. And, as long as my feet, legs, and my lungs keep working, I will not quit until I get to those 26.2. Why? Because it is a challenge and challenges are important in life. Because it makes me feel good to push my body to new limits. For so many reasons that I can’t type them all. And, because quitting has never really been an option for me!