Life Lessons From Running

I'm kind of on vacation this week, so this one is a short post I've been thinking about for a while. See, it's no secret that I run, and that when I run, I have a lot of time to think about life. It's better than thinking, "Oh, gosh, I can't breathe. My legs are killing me. Can I rationalize a break at the next mile mark?"

I've heard that you can take life lessons out of anything you know well enough, and that's been true of running, for me. So here are some of the deep philosophies I, and other runners, have thought up during those long, long miles.

1. Making fun of someone else's running gear won't make you any faster, or give you any more endurance.

 
2. You may pass someone, but you don't know their training program. They might be training for distance and you might be training for speed. Or perhaps they just started running and you've been running for years. We all have our own schedule.

3. Someone may pass you. See above. It's not fair to compare.

4. There are two kinds of pain. One is positive and indicates growth and added strength. One is negative and indicates that you're causing harm to yourself. Know the difference.
4b. Positive pain can be intense. That doesn't mean it's bad. Negative pain can be mild. That doesn't mean you shouldn't stop and let yourself heal from it.

5. It's okay to have bad days. They happen; it doesn't mean you're a bad runner.

6. The experience is always better when you're going somewhere, instead of just running in place (looking at you, treadmill).

7. Everything gets a little easier when music is involved.

8. If you push hard for too long you could injure yourself or just crash. Know your limits and take it easy.

9. Getting good shoes now will save you a ton of pain (and toenails) down the line. Same with clothing. Quality is worth the price when you have to rely on it.

10. Chocolate milk is the elixir of life. Nut butters aren't bad either.

Feel free to comment with some of your life lessons, whether from running or other aspects of your life. And, if you are a runner, check out Dumb Runner by Mark Remy. It's pretty fun.