By Vickie Leff
It is so much easier not to try. No pain, disappointment, or frustration. But there is also no reward and that’s the problem. I think most people want to find meaning in the things we do, and we want to be inspired to do greater things to find that meaning.
For those facing physical or emotional struggles, running can become a meaningful piece of the puzzle, helping us recover, move forward and find inspiration. I worry that many people don’t push themselves toward a meaningful goal because they fear they will fail. Perhaps you’ve said to yourself “I can’t run a marathon (or fill in the blank race)!” Why not? What is holding you back? Are you waiting to be inspired? Don’t wait, inspire yourself!
Start now. Challenge yourself today, develop a plan, a goal you want to reach, and inspire not only yourself but those around you. The steps you need to take are simple but require a good deal of thought if you are to be successful.
First, you must commit to being honest with yourself about what you can and cannot do. I can’t run a marathon tomorrow. But I might be able to run a half-marathon in three months. If you’ve lost a limb in combat, you can’t get that limb back, but you can work on getting a prosthesis and learn to run or walk again. We all have limitations, some more severe than others.
Second, using running as an example of a goal, pick a race distance you would like to do – 5k, 10k, half-marathon or marathon. Be realistic about how much time it will take you to train.
Third, develop your plan. That will include choosing a training guide, reviewing your schedule to ensure you have the time to train – realign activities/chores to accommodate your new goal.
Fourth, tell everyone what you are planning to accomplish. You need to feel accountable and by sharing your excitement you will also inspire others to reach for their dreams. That inspiration feeds your energy and keeps you going.
Getting through difficult times, whether physical or emotional, requires dedication and determination. It also needs to feel successful, meaning it’s important to feel satisfied that your methods are working. Running offers you an opportunity to feel that success every time you go out for a run. In my experience, about two out of five runs feel good to me. But, every time I finish a run I set out to do, I experience success no matter how miserable the run! Success doesn’t have to be pretty.
Setting realistic expectations is just as important as setting your goal. It is not realistic to think you will feel great during every run; it’s not realistic to expect you will feel happy all the time; and it’s not realistic to think you won’t have setbacks. Knowing this will help with the occasional disappointment you will undoubtedly feel. This is why inspiration is so important. I work with some very courageous people. They inspire me every single day. They aren’t runners; they are brave people going through difficult things physically and emotionally (I work with people who have serious or life-threatening illness). Their courage inspires me to reach deeper, work harder, and stretch myself beyond being comfortable. Doing something when you are afraid to fail is inspirational. If you never fail, how can you begin to appreciate your achievements?
Why bother, you ask? Good question. Because asking more of yourself, challenging yourself, builds confidence, inner strength and ultimately leads to feeling happier; it helps to combat depression, fatigue and fatalism. You will have setbacks, bad days, bad runs. You will want to give up and throw in the towel, I guarantee it. Running offers so many chances to fall and get back up (literally sometimes!). It also offers small victories – running your first mile, running three times this week, etc. Inspiration doesn’t have to come in bigger-than-life packages, it can be the little victories along the way.
Become inspired; look around for what inspires you. Finding meaning in something that challenges you will take you to places you didn’t think you could go, like the start line of a road race you never thought you could run. Or, it could bring you the winning medal for best finishing time in your age division for your first marathon (I was the only one in my age division!).
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Vickie Leff, aka RunnerMom, is the author of “RunnerMom On The Go.” She is the mother of two teenagers and a Welsh Corgi Cardigan, and wife to a wonderful husband. She is a clinical social worker. She has been running for many years and ran her first marathon at age 44. She won her age division at that race because she was the only one in her age division! Vickie has run a total of six marathons over the past few years, including New York, Boston and Chicago. She is a back-of-the-pack runner who never comes in last. Check out her website, www.runnermom.com, for more tips, motivation, and resources.
