Day 98: Taboo Tuesday: Voices

Each of us will face the inevitable voices that bark at us while running. Its a taboo topic to ask your running buddy, "What are 'they' saying to you?" They may want to have you evaluated. Regardless, if you have ran for any time, "negative-self talk" has crippled your forward motion.

Here are the three most frequent messages rattling around my head when running.

1) "You are not strong enough to finish this distance." Solution: Shorten the distance to a single step and respond, "I am able to finish this distance."

2) "You are not running fast enough and 'those' people will think you are weak."Solution: I have chosen to compete against myself. Rarely can I ever identify who 'those' people are. In fact, 99.9% of those observing are proud of your progress and are cheering you on. (Maybe someday I'll talk about the .1% who are not pulling for you.)

3) "That pain is going to cause a life long injury."Solution: Running is an ongoing dance with comfort and discomfort. There is a big gap between percieved pain and phantom pain. Pain needs to be seperated from injury. Running for 30 minutes, 3 hours or 30 hours can cause discomfort or pain. But it may not be injury. It may be your mind trying to throw a mutiny on you. Press on and see if it subsides. If it is there for more than a couple runs, get it checked out.

Around each of our necks is a keyboard. Those who we allow to get close enough to us will have the ability to type messages (verbal and non-verbal) into our mind's hard drive. Surround yourself with people who build you and value your effort.

RUN (no pun intended) FAR FROM THOSE WHO TEAR YOU DOWN.

Peace,
jas