You barely finish running the 10k, are exhausted and feel so lousy that you have forgotten why you run at all. But, you know this will pass. It always does. And, you know the next time you run, you'll likely feel the same way.
But, you keep running. Even though your back hurts and you look like a crooked stick with legs after the race; even though your heel cord is on fire; even though your eyelids cover most of what you can see from the fog known as fatigue, you keep running.
Maybe you tell yourself that you run to keep your weight under control, or maybe it's a stress reliever, or maybe it's your connection with feeling alive.
But, why do you really keep running? What's the real reason? What do you gain from the pain? Is the pain of not running greater than the pain from running? And, if so, why is that?
When I ask these questions in a consult, what I often hear first is, "I don't know." It pops out of the client's mouth like a piece of toast out of a toaster. And, I know that when I hear that answer so quickly, that the client may know; likely does know. They're just buying some time to figure out what they feel and how to say it.
Clients come to the answer of why they run, as they search for an answer of why they hurt when they run. People come to see us because they hurt. Many believe that something is out of whack, out of alignment; some muscle is weak or some tissue is too tight and if they just get it back in to the right place, all will be well. And, sometimes, that idea, the idea of some unique, one thing that's off, is right; for a time. But, even if you somehow get the "thing" back where it needs to be or, the muscle stronger, or the tendon tougher, has your thinking changed? After all, what you think is what you say; what you say is what you do, what you do is what you get. Will the thinking and behavior that lead up to the problem be the kind that will keep you out of it in the future? Or will history repeat itself? This is the opportunity that comes wrapped inside the package of an injury: to change your life by the way you think and act.
Your performance: your ability to run swiftly, freely, and without constraint, is derived from your potential. Inside you, you have tremendous potential. We all do. But, your performance is less than you would like because of things that reduce or interfere with that potential. Things like fear, doubt, trying too hard, trying to be perfect, anger, frustration and boredom all interfere with your performance. And, where do these things exist? In your mind.
Take out a piece of paper and write down these questions and answer them as honestly as you can. Keep working on it until you have a clear, succinct answer for each one. Pay attention to your emotional reaction as you read the questions and attempt to answer them. The stronger the reaction, the more you need to think about your answer and the closer you will get to the truth.
- What does running give me that I am not getting anywhere else in my life?
- What would my life be like if I could never run again? Why?
- What do I want from running? Why is it important?
- How do I know when running is running my life?
Some of you will ignore me even though you need to listen. But, for others, you know I'm right. You can feel it. It's that indescribable twinge in the soul, the resonance that comes from the flicker of truth. What say you? What say you of the pain of running? Will you unwrap the present of your injury to discover the hidden gem inside?
Can you do it?
Doug Kelsey
