The biggest life lessons Running has taught me

So maybe you’re a hardcore runner, a couch to 5km sort of person, or someone who just completely hates the sport. No matter the case, these five lessons will still provide some value (or at least I hope so). When lockdown arrived, I found myself becoming somewhat anxious. Yet, after covering a lot of miles and spending a bit of time in introspection, I found more clarity within my position and an undercurrent of happiness in the day-to-day. Lightbulbs occurred and perspectives shifted. Here are the life lessons running taught me:

1. Starting sucks

There is this unofficial rule for all runners that you need to ignore the first mile. Why? Because it’s the worst! It usually takes that first mile to get in the mojo of your run. Maybe you need to wake up a bit. Your body needs to loosen up. Your stride gets steady. Your breathing begins to regulate. Starting out you don’t really feel yourself. That initial resistance is the make or break for many runners; once you’re out the house and past that initial hard point though, it’s onwards and upwards (usually).

Obviously, there are outliers. I’ve had runs where I’ve been cruising right from the get-go and then out of nowhere, I’m in agony. However, that is most often not the case. The same can be said with a lot of things in life.

I find starting out with something I often lack the experience and when faced with my first trial, there are voices of doubt appearing. Motivation drains by the second, procrastination occurs, and the end seems unreachable. Yet it’s beyond this initial hurdle that growth lies and very often things get easier or (dare I say it) fun!

We have this imagery notion that we are going to start every day with an unlimited supply of motivation, but that is simply not the case. Obviously, we can train ourselves to be more disciplined but ultimately, we just have to get on with it.

“Start before you’re ready.” — Steven Pressfield

I’ve been training for a marathon the last couple of months and honestly, it's been hard. Running five or six times per week often in very inconvenient times is difficult and I’d much rather be sleeping. That initial start is the worst. But there is no run I can ever remember doing that I regret.

Starting sucks, but endless opportunity awaits just beyond that dip.

2. You need community

I’ve run for years and it’s great fun. Getting out, stretching your legs, clearing your head, and getting some alone time. However, I never enjoyed running as much as I have now that I’m part of a big community of runners. Weekly meet-ups, races, and events with people of all ages, stages, and abilities. Running alone, you can easily believe you know it all and you can improve on your own as all you have to do is move your legs faster. Well, that’s a big fat lie.

Running with a group of runners, I get to hear brilliant stories, I’m pushed in my ability, and I’ve got to know more about the sport as a whole from those more experienced than me.

“No man is an island.” — John Donne

I think this lesson can be applied to everyday circumstances. No one can master everything or have unlimited motivation, and I also believe we need to all be pushed with different perspectives and opinions.

Don’t get me wrong; as an introvert, I do love time alone — reading, writing, watching films, and even running alone are all dreamy to me. Yet, I acknowledge in this comfortable state I cannot grow as a person. So for every person and encounter, good or bad, I am grateful. Similarly, we often can think we know what we want and what situations and people we like being around. But it is not until we have fully experienced a variety of moments and people that we know what we ourselves are actually like with all our likes and dislikes.

No man is an island. Create community and flourish.

3. Consistency wins

For years, I used to run once a week. An event called Parkrun every Saturday consisted of a 5km run and a lot of very tired runners.

My mindset was I would run harder each Saturday and improvement would occur. But that wasn’t how it worked. I had a bit of natural athleticism, but ultimately for me to improve, I would have to run outside of these weekly runs. To start, I did an occasional second run every other week, yet nothing happened to my times. It was only when I consistently increased my weekly runs that I improved.

Fast forward to the present and after a lot of experimentation and slow progression, I can happily say I consistently run five times a week (sometimes more, sometimes less). It is here where I have found amazing progress. These runs mid-week don’t necessarily have to be hard but like any habit, you have to keep it up. It is in the space of long consistent repetition that action becomes second nature. Now, I don’t struggle to do these simple runs, and the cap on what I deem as ‘hard’ seems to be expanding.

The magic is doing the simple things repeatedly and long enough to ignite the miracle of the Compound Effect.” — Darren Hardy

When you look at this in relation to a normal schedule, it brings great hope. Acknowledging you don’t have to do some massive big action that will make your life 10 times better but instead just work on tiny habits and do them consistently relieves a lot of pressure. I don’t think I could ever do something spectacular, but little habits I can do.

Work on small, repeatable, healthy habits. It is a lot more achievable and often is the best, most sustainable way to reach great success.

“I accumulated small but consistent habits that ultimately led to results that were unimaginable when I started.” — James Clear

4. Not every day is a good day

I think everyone can relate to the fact that whenever doing something competitive, you can expect there to be off days. A recent half marathon I did consisted of me dropping gels, getting a nosebleed, getting a horrible stitch, and hobbling around the course for close to two hours.

No runner is always going to have a good day all the time. No amount of planning prevents hardship; we cannot predict the future. The same can be said with everyone that has ever existed! However, with the increased use of social media, we are bombarded by an influx of external information this is often just honestly not true. It’s easier to lie and say you're having a good day than face the truth and come to terms with the root of an issue.

For me, I view all situations as part of the journey. They contribute to me learning, growing, and ultimately becoming the person I am meant to be. A bad day inevitability will happen and I don’t pretend it won’t. Then when it does occur, I embrace it, tackle it, and learn from it.

The best thing I can do in these moments is to slow down. In bad days of high emotions, your rational head can go out the window. Evaluate why the occurrence happened. Was it just an odd day? Did it have to do with something you did? Does it point to something you should change? From there you can decide if you want to stick it out or move on; bad days test your character but refine and expose your true desires. Embrace them.

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive-to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” — Marcus Aurelius

5. Having a goal is essential

I can run, I can run consistently, I can even run reasonably fast. But what I can’t do is run without a goal. Having a focus enables you to look forward and is often the thing you need when in pain. Often in the middle of a hard workout, the best thing you can do is forget what you’re doing and remind yourself why you're putting yourself through pure agony. Knowing your ‘why’ is essential.

Practically, this can look like beating your previous PB, running for longer than you have before, going a long distance, or training/competing in a race. Focus on that goal and dig deep.

After finding myself doing this in running, I felt it naturally come over into my everyday life. The fluctuations in my mood, good and bad days, stuff just getting hard; it is often to recognise the long game. Running brought about that perspective shift. The sacrifice of momentary joy is often the essential ingredient no one likes talking about. It’s ugly, it’s hard, and it’s not fun. But it allows us to come about greater accomplishments than we previously ever imagined in our comfort zones.

Having that aim in life and sticking to it when the going gets tough creates brilliant character, and actually provides further direction for you. You complete goals and can evaluate what you liked and disliked, whether you want to go forward or back or start something completely new.

For me, I have annual goals, monthly goals, and lots and lots of to-do lists. I also reflect and muse over my actions at least a couple of times a week. Writing in a notebook works for me and helps me reflect and work out if my current actions are in alignment with where I want to be. Take that time to be introspective. Having a goal is essential.

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into visible.” — Tony Robbins