Running Thoughts | You're Either Running Your Own Race or Someone Else's

It took me a long time to realize that there's a difference between running your own race and getting caught up in someone else's. And spending too much time in someone else's race leads to deep dissatisfaction.

I'll tell you the truth: I never really knew much about dissatisfaction. I never had much time for it. Growing up, I lived a big little life. I was outdoors for 99% of my childhood. I grew up in a neighborhood where everyone knew each other. We'd race down the streets, play hide and seek, climb trees, build forts - you know, kid stuff.

I have vivid memories of racing my friends through backyards, jumping fences, and sprinting through makeshift trails. We were always moving, always in our own little worlds, creating our own adventures. It was the simplest, purest form of existence.

I didn't really think about how others ran their races. I just ran mine. Nothing was ever that deep. I just ran.

One thing I'm always grateful for is that the social media era didn't steal my childhood. I narrowly escaped it. I was in my 20s when Instagram launched and probably didn't use it for another year. By then, I'd already built up some emotional resilience before opening a window to peer into other people's lives.

It was a while before it really took off. I deleted it seven years ago and never looked back.

Running Someone Else's Race

As great as the online world can be, there's a delicate balance to maintain. It's strange to think about spending your life running someone else's race, but that's the essence of the online world.

As you scroll, you're spending your precious time watching someone else's journey unfold. When time is finite and everything can change in an instant, that's a steep price to pay.

There's an art to allowing yourself glimpses into other people's races but not getting so caught up that you start feeling envious or resentful. To not hand over control of your own path.

Because the truth is, within you, you have everything you need to run the race you've always dreamed of. It's just a matter of how you allocate your resources.

Allocation of Effort

It comes down to this: how you use your time and energy to become the runner you want to be.

I don't say this lightly. What I'm about to say took me years of running, countless kilometers, and many races to fully understand:

I have everything I've ever wanted.

Yes, everything. Right now, as I put on my shoes, heading out for another run, I'm at peace. It's a funny feeling. Funny because I realize I could have said that years ago, but hey, that's all part of the journey.

The Re-imagination of What Running Means

What changed for me was the realization that this running journey is mine.

If you want to achieve something,  whether it's finishing a marathon, breaking a personal record, or just feeling strong ,  you can. But it's an exchange. You have to invest your time and energy into it. And spending that time worrying about how fast someone else is running, whether you're good enough, or if you're falling behind, doesn't move you any closer to your goals.

I'm not going to tell you not to worry because I think that's a natural part of being human. But I will say you can worry and still work towards what you want.

You can coexist with your doubts and fears while focusing your energy on your own race. That's what I've been doing for the past few years.

It's Not That You Don't Feel Things; It's That You Run Anyway

Over the last six months, everything has changed for me.

I've run distances I never thought I could, explored new trails, achieved personal bests, and I'm currently figuring out what challenge I want to tackle next.

I'm literally living the biggest and best version of my running journey right now. It's exhilarating. But do you know what the remarkable thing is about it all?

It's not that remarkable.

All I did was allocate my time and energy to running. That's all. I still doubted myself, I still worried about what others thought, and I still compared my progress to theirs.

But I just kept running.

And if I can do it, you can too.

Life is Golden.

- Adam D.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: The AI tools utilized in this article were used solely for editing and grammar checks; all concepts and ideas presented are my own (a human).

PS - If you enjoyed this and thinking to yourself, "Wow, this was really helpful and I enjoyed this article." I've put together a couple of 7-Day Educational Email Courses to help you Run Your First 10km and Run Your First 5km that you might enjoy.