This has been a hard week professionally.
This has been a hard week in training for the ultra.
This has been a hard week.
And as a result, I have been physically, mentally and emotionally spent.
On my long run this week (15 miles), there was a point where I battled mentally to just quit it all and start something new. The feeling of failure came over me and I wrestled with these thoughts as I ran hills, battled the heat and eventually having to call my brother-in-law to pick me up because I couldn't push through any longer.
I sent my coach, Liza Howard, an email just feeling defeated. As a great coach, she was able to encourage me by pointing out what I accomplished, how this is a process and to embrace the journey. I was also reminded that at the beginning of this project, I was told it was not going to be easy.This blog is called "Do the Hard Stuff". I've come to realize that I need to embrace the hard stuff and to keep going. My profession will not always be easy. My training will not always be easy. I will not always have easy weeks where it naturally comes to me but.... I can embrace it and keep focusing on getting better through it all.
As I shared this story with several people in the same professional field and those pounding the roads alongside me, I have been amazed by the stories of those who felt like they have failed but all of them have come back stronger to do bigger and better things. Their stories and their courage have inspired me to continue on to week 7 of Becoming Ultra.
If you have an experience where you felt like a failure and needed to keep going, please share the story below. It will encourage me and the rest of the readers.
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ReplyDeleteSometimes quitting is right but more painful than finishing. That's "doing the hard stuff". I quit 230 miles into a 372 mile bicycle event due to severe dehydration. Quitting was right. I had lost nearly 9% of my body weight. I was in danger. It was right to quit. I still feel the keen knife edge of failure where I stabbed myself in the back by quitting - even as I write this - and it was over 3 years ago. Quitting was right. It was hard. Quitting was doing the hard stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe path to your ultra can follow many paths. Which is good, because when you have to detour because of this kinda day, you don't have to try to get back on the same road. When I was having knee pain and was working with my physical therapist, it weighed heavy on my mind that I had to be way behind on getting to the ultra distance. I remember in one podcast, I think it was about 3 months before the ultra, and Scott and Ian were both casually talking about how I had plenty of time. I finally said, "No! There's not! It's only 3 months out and I haven't even run a marathon yet!" There really was enough time, Ian worked with my abilities and limitations, and it all came together. So let Liza worry about the path to take, and you just do the best you can. She'll make the adjustments so you don't have to think about it. Trust the process and don't worry about it. Tomorrow is not defined by today. You're doing great, keep at it, and thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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