Running Scared…Part Two…

This is part two…if you haven’t read part one yet, please scroll down or jump to Friday’s post first then come back to this one…

I realized that Friday’s post needed a second part, but it didn’t solidify for me until today. On the way to work Friday morning two of the podcasts I listen to on the regular (The Life Coach School with Brooke Castillo and Run, Selfie, Repeat) both discussed confidence. It’s like the universe knows and sends me signs. But still, I couldn’t get out of my head about it. I discussed it briefly with my friend at the gym who assured me I can do it. And I discussed it with my husband when I got home from the gym, and he also said it’s not an impossible feat. How is everyone so sure of me? I went to bed not feeling much better. Nor did I feel better when I woke up this morning. I kept thinking about it and obsessing while I was getting ready for the race of the day when I stopped in my tracks out of nowhere, realizing that my argument was completely invalid. And I also realized (and this was the real kicker) that if my buddy–the one who challenged me in the first place–heard the argument I’d been using on myself he would’ve stopped what he was doing, driven to my house, and ripped me a new one.

This won’t be easy, not by a long shot. But nothing worth doing is ever easy. And it’s NOT impossible. Just because I haven’t done it, doesn’t mean it can’t be done. And the thing I love about running is that I’m not overwhelmingly good at it. I have to work hard at it. That’s what makes it so satisfying when I finish a race or a training run, I accomplished something.

My race today, the Brookline Breeze 5k went as well as I could expect–it was hilly, and went by gun time–but I’m not unhappy with my finish. I worked hard. I killed it on the downhill finish. More on Monday.