The Courage to Push

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."

 - John Bingham

 

A long time ago someone told me, "Running, quite simply is left foot, right foot, repeat." Yes it is. For some though, there is a certain amount of intimidation to start running. I hear this every day from new runners. They will tell me, "I'm only running a couple miles a week," or, "I'm not doing a marathon of anything." Something inside them has made running much more than what it is. 

Do I feel courageous for starting running? No. It was a big step for me, but at the same time it seemed like something I always should have been doing. It felt natural to me. What took courage was pushing myself.

The first time I ran, I could not even run two blocks in a row. Time and time again though I made the effort to run those two blocks. Was that courage? In a sense. Knowing me, it would have been easy to just tell myself that walking was just fine, and I should settle for that. I learned though when it comes to my running, I don't settle. I summon what's inside of me to go further.

Am I always successful? No. Am I disappointed if I haven't run as far or as well as I wanted that day? Yes. Where I am successful is that I keep trying. I keep pushing. 

Today I had hoped to run 5-6 miles. A combination of heat and my stomach not liking breakfast got me to 3.61 miles. Mark tells me the important thing is I went out and ran.

In the past, I have had those moments when I needed to push myself to do what I needed to do: Portland, Phoenix, South Bend, and even that very first 5K those many years ago. That is where I had the courage to push. When my body ached to the point I thought I couldn't take it. I pushed. When I wanted to quit, but knowing if I did I would never forgive myself, I pushed. On the days we need it, that courage is there, and it pushes us forward.

Charlie