Tomorrow is a new day!
How often are you reminded that you are doing better than you think? It’s an easy thing to tell yourself, however, it’s 10 times harder to actually live it out. For most of us in this sport we are driven by results. We want to be successful for several different reasons and an easy way of measuring that success is through numbers. I speak about this often but a common issue for certain athletes is that it’s the end result these runners focus on too much and it’s the process they don’t focus enough on. Has anyone reminded you recently that we are living in the middle of a global pandemic? Sure we are learning ways to adapt and road races are coming back to life. However, the type of racing we are used to is not present. Our current racing reality does not exist the way many of us want it to and that can cause a lot of stress for those athletes who are driven by competition and the energy of the crowds of a road race. But the sport has and will not be shut down unless we shut it down for ourselves. I really believe this is one of the hardest times to be a distance runner. It’s no easy feat right now to train at a high level. With us being in the middle of winter and there not being many races on the horizon this spring, it’s easy to fall into the, “screw it” mentality. Trust me, I have been there. What’s your why on a day it’s under 10 degrees and you have to run 10 miles? In the past you knew you were training for a race and that helped a ton on those days we struggled. The reality is that this sport is bigger than racing. It’s bigger than our own personal accomplishments. What has made you consistent throughout this entire pandemic is the mere fact that the sport brings an incredible amount of life and energy to your body. We are better parents, friends, siblings, teammates, etc because of the sport. Our focus in all areas of life can be attributed to our discipline with distance running. These are all things we need to remember, myself included! Being driven to the process is admirable and you owe it to yourself to shine your light on what you are doing a great job of right now. As we move forward into the unknown months ahead, we have a lot to look forward to. If you are struggling to figure out a way to be consistent right now, stop penalizing yourself for what you haven’t done and look for little wins in your running right now to build off of. I have always been someone who believes it’s important to give yourself grace but it’s also important to never stop challenging yourself. I know there are times we need more grace than challenges but never underestimate the power and inspiration you gain from tackling new feats whether that be in distance running or life. Keep pushing forward!
*Spewak Training is currently taking on new athletes. If you are interested in learning more about our team and services, please contact us mark@spewaktraining.com*