Keep on moving
The iconic American writer Mark Twain said, ‘If you don’t like New England weather, wait a few minutes.’ Growing up in the woods in New Hampshire, I learned this firsthand. While summers were warm and winters were usually frigid, we had every kind of weather in between, some of it unseasonal: spring ice storms, early frosts, erratic bouts of hail, and hot, summery days in the fall.
As a recreational runner who has spent the last decade dabbling in trail ultra distance events (an ultra is any race over 26.2 miles), I notice a similar changeability. When you’re running (and walking, jogging, hiking, or creeping) an ultra on a trail through the woods all day and into the night, you’re going to experience ups and downs…guaranteed. Major and minor issues will crop up, and your ability to continue forward will depend on your problem-solving skills as well as your patience for continuing even when you’re feeling bad.
I’m by no means an expert ultra runner, but I’ve done enough long races and training runs to know that feeling bad is not a cause for panic. Feeling bad is part of the game…not so much an ‘if’ but a ‘when.’ When I hit low spots in races or training runs, I remind myself to eat something, hydrate, and keep moving. If needed, I’ll count my breaths or focus on making it to the next tree or rock. It may take a while for the bad feeling to pass, but it always does.
Life is like the weather, and life is like an ultra, too. There are days or weeks or months that I feel stretched thin and beaten down and sucked dry. Within these periods are smaller cycles of up and down. Sometimes I get to the end of a day feeling depleted, and all I can do is crawl into bed and know that tomorrow will be new and fresh. It’s a good strategy.
When you feel down, exhausted, and stressed, it’s tempting to freak out and let your brain tell you that things will never get better, only worse. Don’t listen.…it’s not true! Do your best to feel your feelings, and keep going. That bad feeling feeling you have now will change into a different one. It may take 5 minutes, 5 hours, or 5 days - that part is a mystery. But it will change. Keep going. Keep on moving.
Could you use an ally as you navigate YOUR life ultra? Click the link below to schedule a free 60-minute connection call with me. May your week be filled with self-love and rich insights. With love, Amy ♡♡♡