Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Show up...

Reminders:

1) Show Up - get out there
2) Be Honest with Yourself - Be honest about your current fitness
3) Pay Attention - Be aware of your body
4) Do Your Best - Anything less makes the run a waste of time
5) Don't be too Attached to the Outcome - It's always different later

I found these 5 points somewhere some time ago and I think they are worthy of posting. Items 1, 2, 3, & 5  were authored by Angeles Arrien (a cultural anthropologist), and I suspect that item 4 is an extrapolation that fits really well with the others.  I think that item 2 was originally "Tell the Truth" by Arrien, but while an excellent axiom to live by, for a runners list of goals I like the being honest phrasing.

This is how I see these items fitting in to running:

1) Show up - Get your shoes on, and get out there. Your fitness and health will not happen unless you make the effort to get out there. We do not get stronger or better by sitting back.  It may be a drag to get out the door - that first half mile may be hard, but after that you know that you will be glad that you made the effort. More importantly, not showing up is worse than defeat. What's that line from the movie The Shawshank Redemption: "Get busy living or get busy dying" ?  Very apropos. If you don't show up, you deserve what you get (or not).

2) Be Honest with Yourself - Don't kid yourself about your capabilities. And this actually cuts both ways: being overly optimistic about what we "want" to be able to do as well as being too humble and modest about what we "can" do. But this can be hard because we all aspire to be more than we are - be able to run faster,further, better... Genetics, fitness level, and more, create the reality is that is each of us. It's important to have goals and stretch goals, but they have to based on reality, a starting point. Recognize your reality and do everything you can to improve that.

3) Pay Attention - Don't ignore the little injuries, and the corollary to that, take advantage of when everything is right! Pay attention to things that hurt so that they don't turn into debilitating injuries that will keep you out of your running shoes. If something doesn't feel right, figure it out and fix it. And having said that, when your body feels like it is perfect, take advantage of it.

4) Do Your Best - It's a mind set, and it should actually apply to everything that we do. Running is weird in that we tend to have different goals for each of our runs. The point is, whatever the goal is for that days run, focus on doing your best to accomplish that goal. Sometimes it's pace, or form, or breathing, or gait, or distance, and so on... If you are not going to make a serious effort at it, then don't bother doing it. Anything less makes the run a waste of time.

5) Don't be too Attached to the Outcome - Having a great or bad run or race is just one event in a lifetime of events. Savor or admonish yourself for the moment, and then move on to the next one. Having a great run or a great race feels awesome, and yes it does wonders to increase confidence, but it's just a small part of the bigger picture. Think "what's next" and what can you do to get better. Just because you had a great race does not mean that all races will be great. Likewise with a bad run or race - it sucks and can be draining if you let it, but that is all the more reason to move ahead. Again, think "what's next".

But it all starts with SHOW UP !!


Show Up
Be Honest with Yourself
Pay Attention
Do Your Best
Don't be too Attached to the Outcome




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