1) THE CONFIDENT NOVICE

Running is a great self-esteem booster, especially if you are a beginner runner. Running will allow you to test and expand your limits like never before. With each milestone you reach you will find yourself more confident and able to take on the world.

Initially, once you make the decision to run and actually do it, you will begin to notice changes. You will shed some weight and tone your legs, which will definitely help with your self-esteem. When you start running regularly, you’ll quickly realize that your mental strength or will power, are stronger than ever, which should make you feel as good as you look. You will feel energized and great in general.

After a while you might decide to join a running club, which will be another stepping stone. Eventually you enter a few races for which you train diligently. You muster up courage to show up at the start line of each event. The gun shot goes off and excitedly you run your race. Many races and PB”s later you have grown in confidence and feel as if you can conquer any race.

2) SELF-ESTEEM FLIES OUT THE WINDOW (FASTER THAN YOUR FAILED RUN)

But unfortunately there is always that one race that humbles you. You run the first few kilometers full of confidence and expectation but further into the race your legs begin to feel heavy, your heart begins to race. You force yourself to keep on plodding, gasping for breath. Horrified you watch your slower counterparts effortlessly whizz past. Things aren’t going according to plan and your body is not co-operating. It’s not a good race day. So the comparisons and self-doubt begin. Self-esteem has flown out the window faster than your failed run.

3) SELF-CRITICISM

You feel shattered and broken. Feelings of self-doubt and anger start to creep in. How can your body fall apart at a race you prepared and trained so hard for? The answer is… “Because you are not a robot, but a human being with your own unique, individual body make-up of which the brain is the most important and complex organ.” Which means that when faced with failure, we implicitly assume self-criticism is necessary in order to motivate strong future performance. But in reality this strategy often falls flat. Giving oneself a harsh talking to doesn’t just make us feel bad, it also interferes with our ability to calmly examine the situation and identify what to change in order to improve.

4) LIFE IS LIKE A MARATHON. FULL OF UPS AND DOWNS

Have you heard the saying “Life is like a marathon, it’s full of ups and downs that take your breath away?”
So yes! You will definitely experience highs and lows in running. It’s part of the package. It’s what you do with the package that matters.
So please try not to loose your running MOJO because no matter how hard you may have trained or over trained (another story in itself) life happens. It is unrealistic on our part to expect all our runs to be greater and faster. Injuries and failed runs occur to the best of us as we all have our flaws and weaknesses. The secret lies in learning from our failures and to come out stronger and more compassionate.

5) RUNNING AND FAILURE CAN PROVIDE A SENSE OF HUMAN CONNECTION

Running is sometimes considered an isolated and competitive sport, but this isn’t always necessarily true. There are runners who step in to help others in times of difficulty. Running and failure can provide a sense of human connection, because it shows that the struggle is normal. So while running may sometimes be painful, we have to experience a degree of suffering and failure in order to truly value ourselves, to appreciate others, and learn what it means to be self-compassionate so as to pass it onto others. Perhaps because it allows us to appreciate just how small we are in the scheme of things.

6) UNWRAP YOUR PACKAGE

So please do unwrap your package, and if what is dished out to you on the day does not work out, use it to help another struggling or frustrated runner. Be kind to others and yourself, you both deserve it! Remember running is a gift. Open your package and share it with others. Most importantly have fun with like-minded individuals.