What Running Has Taught Me About Perseverance

     Perseverance

           

      Mirriam-Webster defines it as “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition: the action or condition or an instance of persevering: steadfastness.”

In the words of  Marie Curie:

         

          “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”

And this is a favorite by Julie Andrews:

“Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20^th.”

             What running has taught me about perseverance.

      Okay, let me preface this with the fact that I do not consider myself a runner. I am slow. I walk way more than I run. I call what I do “wogging”— a cross between walking and a slow jog. Slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter (Thank you One More Mile apparel for that quote).

However, I try. It is through trying and getting off my rear that I have learned about perseverance. I have done 5K races and 3 half marathons. Mostly walking. In all of these races I have learned what it means to be steadfast. I have learned about getting out there and training even when I didn’t feel like it. I have learned about pushing forward when things got tough. It isn’t easy, and it really doesn’t get easier for me.

I have done 3 half marathons, but I think I learned the most about mental toughness and steadfastness at the most recent half I did. It was a local half marathon. The first local half I had ever done. Prior to that I had done two halves at Disney World. When our local Fleet Feet announced a new half in town coming April 2014, the Bridge Street Town Centre Half Marathon, and that it had a 4 hour time limit (around an 18 minute mile pace requirement), I decided I wanted to give it a try. The Disney races required a 16 minute mile pace, and I had been able to do that in the past two races I had done there, the most recent having been in November of 2013, just 5 months prior to the Bridge Street half. So, I knew I could meet the requirement, even if I was slow, slow, slow, and walked most of the race.

So, I signed up for the race and got back in to training mode. The day before the race I was feeling a lot of anxiety. I knew what to expect at Disney half marathons, but this was my first non-Disney half. I knew I would be slow, and there were only around 1100 (if that many) runners in this race. Much smaller than a Disney half. So, I knew that I would be in the back of the pack. With the Disney halves, when you are in the back you are still surrounded by lots of people. I knew with this race I would be one of the few in the back. This made me nervous. I began to doubt myself. There was also another factor to my nervousness. A week before the race I found out that I was pregnant. I was 5-6 weeks pregnant the day of the race. I had the green light from my OB to still do the race, but he wanted me to walk and not run any. Now, I knew I could still walk at a fast enough pace to be well under an 18 minute mile requirement, but I was feeling a lot of doubt in myself. I was also not sure how being pregnant (even if very early) would affect me during the race. On race day I made sure I had in my race pouch my electrolyte gels, AdvoCare rehydrate in my water bottle, and even some fig newtons in case I felt nauseated on the course.

Race morning came and I positioned myself towards the back of the pack. When the race started I began my walk, and soon found myself behind everyone else. When we got out to the main road after mile 1, I was the last one in the race. I had a cop car on my rear (she was following behind to indicate the end of the pack). I kept going but in my head I was thinking, “Is this cop going to be on my butt the entire race?” I really began to feel a lot of doubt and panic begin to set in. The mental game was trying hard to beat me. However, I just kept going and pressing forward.

Close to mile 3 I soon caught up with another racer. I did not know her, but I commented as I got close to her “You know if the cop is going to be back there the whole time, you think she could at least play some music to entertain us.” This broke the ice, and the other runner introduced herself as Mary. This was her first half marathon, and she had recently lost over 100 lbs. Mary and I began talking, and quickly fell in to pace with one another. We stayed in pace during the entire race, chatting and pushing each other forward. I believe this was a big turning point for me. I no longer felt all alone in the race, and my self-doubt began to go away. Even when I hit a wall at mile 10, Mary and I kept pushing each other and I pressed forward.

I finished the race a little slower than the half marathon I had done in November, but I didn’t care. I felt like I had accomplished so much. I battled some serious mental games during this race, and the ability to persevere and overcome them was the best prize I could have gotten.

Running— or wogging— has taught me about pushing forward even when things get tough. Even when self-doubt sets in and says “You can’t”. You keep moving forward, being steadfast, and laughing self-doubt in the face. “I can” is what running has taught me. To persevere even in the face of obstacles. Even when you are the slowest one in the pack.