Who are you running for?

Running is an amazing sport. It has a way of lifting us up and humbling us all in the same week (and sometimes even in the same run). It gives us goals to chase, takes us to new destinations, allows us to get out of our heads and live in the present moment. However, all of this is threatened once we start comparing ourselves to other runners, setting unrealistic expectations of our running performances, and seeking external validation. I don’t want to blame social media, but I do.

As much as I love social media for the connections I’ve made in the running community, I’ve also found it to be a place where my runners compare themselves to other athletes, and then start asking questions like, “Should I be going there? Doing that race? Running MORE?” My answers to those questions are, “Would that make you happy? Does that race (and the training that goes with it) actually sound fun to you? And, Probably NO!”

Your value as a human isn’t based on how “aesthetic” your social media is, and your running abilities aren’t determined by how adventurous or crazy your Strava account looks.

Yes, it feels good to be praised for our hard work. But, after all of the kudos have been given and the race t-shirt fades, and no one remembers that race you ran, will YOU still be proud of what you accomplished?

Life is too short to chase goals based on what others are doing or what others might think. What sets YOUR heart on fire? Go get it!