Don't let running beat you down

Yesterday I overheared a conversation my colleague was having with a female customer.

She was broken, discouraged and frustrated.

Frustrated with her lack of progress. Making small, tiny steps forward.

And when her son just went out the door and ran 8 km without any training, she was so upset and done.

It was sad to hear but it’s also a good reminder for me, and you.

Comparison is the thief of joy.
We all fight our own battles.
You have to keep going. Keep chiseling away. Become a better version of yourself.

Whether its:

• Run a new PB

• Trying to lose weight

• Get up the stairs without gasping.

I had to explain this to a new colleague last week. He was downplaying someone running sub 19 in the 5k. It felt slow to him, because he can run a 16 min 5k. Yes 19 min 5k pace might be your easy pace but it’s still a bloody good achievement.

Running is hard, for everyone at their own level.

Running a 5k at maximum effort in 28 min is just as hard a running it in 18 min.

You have to keep going. Set a goal, chip away and before you know it, you will reach something you’ve deemed impossible.

I believe in you.

If you are stuck, ask for help. Find someone that encourages and motivates you to keep going, even though you feel beat down. But don’t forget to enjoy.

Running can become a routine, a chore, if you are not carefull. Switch things up. Run in a different enviroment, with different people, or attempt a new challenge. Switch up your routes and sometimes, just run for the sake of running. No splits, no pace goals, just run for the fun of it.

Lift each other up. Encourage the runners around you.

Remember this. Running is hard. And that’s oke. Accept the fact, but don’t let it bring you down. You can do hard things. Keep going.

Eventually, this female customer left the store with some new running wear and a lot of encouragement to keep going. Sharing her struggles and hearing a different perspective made her continue on her running journey.

Feel free to reach out to me if you feel stuck or frustrated with running too. You can just reply to this email or send me a message on X.

I’m wishing you a fantastic sunday.

Keep going. You got this.

Thanks for reading,

Tim 👟