When I was younger I really loved to play sports! And from an early age I started playing tennis with my family, entering tournaments, and this continued onto school teams. I still play today whenever I get the chance. I also joined soccer at an early age and ended up playing for over 30 years on a variety of teams. Through the years I also joined community baseball and hockey teams, and played volleyball and basketball during my school days as well. There were ups and downs with all those sports, but to be honest I never cared if we won or lost, I just cared about how it felt to play to the best of my abilities. I enjoyed learning any new activity and the feel of the game, and I always challenged myself to get better every day.
As I ran today I thought back to the joys and experiences of practicing and perfecting my basketball moves at the hoop at my house, and there were countless hours of repetitions of hitting a tennis or soccer ball against a wall in just the right way at just the right moment. The personal satisfaction that I experienced in those moments was something that no one saw, and there was no immediate external feedback for me. I was just alone with my thoughts and in those times I could fail and fail and fail, and... I got better. I'm not saying you should be isolated in life, we need others along the way! But what I am sharing is that it's important to have a positive mindset and encourage yourself as you learn. I would tell myself, "Don't give up! You can do it!" and these are still the things I tell myself today!
The reason why I have also always connected with running is because it's always been about challenging myself, setting goals, and pushing myself further. I never cared what anyone else was doing or what they want me to do. I remember in junior high having to do the twelve minute run, the dreaded twelve minute run. All my friends knew that when the whistle blew, I was all business. They would still try to tease me by running ahead and joking with me, but I would just get into my rhythm and clear my mind, and yes eventually pass them and lap them. I was always chasing the school record just to see if I could do it, and by the end of the twelve minutes I had given it everything I had, and I was exhausted! I never did beat the record that I'm aware of, but that experience has always stuck with me.
Today while running, I thought back to the hours I would run up the steep, seemingly endless hills by my home in a more remote area (a different one that the one I visited today). There was really no reason to do it, no one was watching, there was nothing I was training for, and there was no external reward waiting for me at the end. I just wanted to experience what it felt like to push myself and see if I could do it. And it was grueling! But I loved to be away from all the noise and regular routines, and it was re-energizing!
When I got married and we started our family, I continued to play on soccer and hockey teams, and I continued to run - but less. Life takes over a bit, but I also just didn't make that a priority in my life, and there were some periods of time where I stopped altogether. All through my graduate studies, many years later (almost 20 years after I graduated high school), I tried to run again, and when I did it was always the best way I cleared my head. It was how I wrote most of my university papers and it helped me to organize my thoughts and begin blogging!
So when I think back to those memories about my childhood playing sports, and running as a teenager and adult, it reminds me not just of who I was, but of who I AM! Running, right now in my life, is that experience which connects me to who I am, and makes me better in my body and my mind! There are plenty of moments where it's hard and I have to push through. When I start to think "I can't", I just keep going and turn it into "I can" and "I just haven't yet!" I have never run a marathon before, so when I have to do one in just eleven weeks it will be a completely new challenge; but I just know I will be able to do it because it's in my DNA and core beliefs about who I am. I believe that I'm a long distance runner because I have always just wanted to be out there running and have found joy in doing it, but I can't say that I am a marathon runner...not yet! It's not about the medal or what people will say to me; it's about the personal journey to get there, and the experience of accomplishing what I set out to do!
Challenge yourself to do something that connects you back to who you are! You were created uniquely and have something to offer to this world, which is why it's important to share your journey with others; but you also have so much more to offer yourself! Reward yourself by spending time doing the things that you love, encourage yourself, and don't let anything get in the way of pursuing your health and well-being...and turn your "can'ts" into "not yets"!
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