Speed

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I’m not a fast runner – or so I thought.  I had always seen myself as more of an endurance girl.  Sure, I could go the distance.  With one full marathon and a handful of half marathons under my belt in recent years, I had proven that. But I had always taken the course slowly.

What’s interesting is that when we give ourselves a label, consciously or unconsciously, we feel compelled to stay true to it.  It’s almost as if stepping into a role outside of the confines of that label feels so impossible to us, that sometimes, we won’t even try, or when opportunities come along that disprove the validity of that label, we sabotage them.

Today, I’m over at Bev’s place talking about how I became a faster runner and how I can connect this process of becoming a faster runner to the same process I’ve used to overcome many a limitation.

Who doesn’t love overcoming limitations?

I hope to see you there!

xo

Comments

Speed — 35 Comments

  2. This post, like all of what you write, was just so insightful and meaningful. I know you are busy and have so many exciting things going on in your life, but I hope you always make time for writing too, Ilene. The world needs your voice and your lovely words!!! –Lisa

    • Lisa, I am touched and humbled by your comment, so very much. I love this blog, and I love all of you, and I hope to always have a corner reserved for this, even if the writing is less frequent these days. Thank you. xo

  5. I have a hard time commenting on Bev’s site, so I’ll just leave my thoughts here. LOVE everything about your guest post, especially the thought that getting faster (or doing anything else outside our normal routine or comfort zone) is really more about letting go and less about pushing harder. I discovered the same thing during my last cycle of marathon training. When I stopped thinking so hard and just ran, I’d look down at my watch and be shocked at how fast I was going. Sometimes I feel the same way about writing. If I just stop overthinking and let go of trying to get every word just write, the thoughts start pouring out. I can’t wait to hear your running goals for 2014! You’re going to take the NC running world by storm, my friend!

    • Thanks Nicole! And I’m glad this makes sense to you! It was a huge light bulb for me. It was less thinking/more doing and a lot of letting go. That’s when the great stuff happens, for sure!

  7. This post gives me hope. As a plodding runner who had an awful run this morning, speed is never something I care about. I often just want to enjoy running and not look at my distance covered, time running etc.

    I’m thinking that as I train for my Ragnar in 2014 both my endurance and my speed will improve but those are side benefits because I also use running as my way of meditating. It clears my head (although there’s a lot of resistance as I run) but who knows, maybe I’ll find a release like you did. One never knows and I’m open to change….
    Melissa Burton recently posted…Friday’s Featured Female – Jennifer of Real Mom of SFVMy Profile

    • I love the comment Allie left on Bev’s blog – that running frees her from herself. I was like “yes!” Yes!” I stopped telling myself I was slow and great things happened without my actually pressuring myself to go faster. I hope that you find great things through running in 2014 and that release that I described. Wishing you all good things, my friend.

    • One of the things I’ve learned from Yoga is that we can “un-embed” those thoughts once we learn to observe them. That’s so much of that this lesson was about for me!

  11. Ilene, thank you so much for your thoughtful post on my blog! It was a pleasure and an honor having you there. I too have struggled a lot with labels that I have assigned (or not) myself, and it’s taken me awhile to realize it’s up to me to change them.
    Bev recently posted…SpeedMy Profile

    • Bev, it was an honor to write a post for you. And I’m glad you’ve realized the labels that you’ve taken on. That realization is priceless in the process of changing them or letting go of them.

  12. I love your post on Bev’s site. I read it twice to really absorb it. First takeaway, I don’t go to yoga enough. Lol. Really, I need to make a conscious effort to make it there more consistently. Seriously though, what you said is very interesting, and I love the idea behind it. It gives me hope that some of my limits are really just self-imposed labels. Probably based on fear. I’ll have to stew on this a bit.
    Beth Teliho recently posted…I RALLY.My Profile

    • Beth, this has been my life’s work the past 4 – 5 years. Observing and understanding these label and limits and trying to let them go and live a life beyond the self imposed boundaries. It’s been a great ride – and yes – for me, it all goes back to yoga. If you want to get to yoga more, I hope you do!

    • Thanks for dropping in over there, Leah. In yoga, some of the masters that I study talk about the balance between effort and surrender. And the surrender, or “letting go” is just as important as the effort. I hope you find this in 2014 along with much joy and peace! xo