There are some days where I should have a great run: my legs are fresh, I’m rested, my breathing is clear, and the weather is perfect. Yet, on some of these days, each step is a supreme effort and my body, which was feeling powerful moments before, feels like a car with no power steering.
There are some days where I should have a tough run; my legs are fatigued, I’m tired, I’m wheezy or congested, and the weather is either freezing and windy or hot, humid and still. Yet, on some of these days, I fly through the run, aware of my body executing each step almost effortlessly.
The determining factor in the run is not the physical (rest, fatigue) nor the external (weather). The critical component is my mindset at the outset. If I begin with the thought that the run is something to get through or the fear that I may not make my distance and/or time goal for the day, I struggle with the effort. However, if I go into the run accepting the current state of things and just looking to explore what I am capable of, I often surprise myself with what I can accomplish.
Think about how you approach different challenges or even each day in your life. Are you “getting through” or “exploring what can be”? What is your mindset at the outset?
Thank you for this post. I really needed to read this. I read your other post about dieting and ended up here from the link in the post. I’ve been dieting and feeling deprived. I am going to rethink my “deprivation” and think about what I’m gaining. I like it so much I’m going to re-blog this. Again, thank you.
Thanks for sharing and best of luck with your shift in mindset!