Seasonal Runner

I am a seasonal runner. I start running in the spring and put the shoes away once fall arrives. I began running a month ago and it just seems to become more challenging each year to get going. I am starting to feel the rhythm with my breath and my stride and already thinking that maybe I just have to keep going throughout the winter. Aging often brings greater challenges!

For the last few weeks, I have been running first thing in the morning. The alarm goes off anywhere between 4:30 and 5:30, depending on my day. I don’t mind getting up early and it has been interesting to recognize my mind waking up. There are thoughts that pop up and say, “No! Stay in bed—run later,” or “Go check your e-mails first,” or “You have a long day today. Maybe running is not the thing to do right now”. It is pretty interesting to see the thoughts for what they are, just thoughts. There really is nothing to a thought until we invest our attention into it and start believing that it is real or solid. 

The last few weeks those thoughts have not been real. I just see them for what they are. I notice them and even give the thoughts names like lazy thought, excuse thought, or complaining thought. I shift my awareness to my body, sit up in bed and place my feet on the ground. I pause for a moment and take a deep breath in and then begin moving. As I am getting dressed, I just pay attention to putting my pants on, lacing up my shoes, etc. I step outside and begin running. Once I finish my run, I acknowledge the fact that a simple thought almost held me back. Fortunately, I saw it for what it was: just a thought.

You can apply this exercise to any thought that might be holding you back. See it for what it is and shift your awareness to your body and/or your breath. The thought loses its power if it doesn’t produce action! This process takes practice, but once applied, it really works!