Letting Go of Old Beliefs - Who Are You Now?

Since I started to embark on my marathon training, my running practice has changed, for the better.
One of the big changes has been to not map out my routes.  I do have a rough idea of some distances, and between that knowledge and allowing my watch to let me know how far I've gone it's been working well.  Having this freedom has allowed me to enjoy new scenery and make each run a little different.  On a recent run, I realized that I had a hillier route than normal, and the hilliest since I was injured....and that got me thinking.  My hamstring pull happened in January, which was at least six months ago.  It was a pretty bad pull, and caused me to pull out of two races and not run for a good six weeks, but I have been back at it for nearly three months now.  So when was I going to stop identifying myself as having been injured?  Let go of that persona, as it is no longer relevant and does not reflect who I am today.  A healthy an strong runner.
How often do we do this in our lives?  We are presented a challenge, we are hurt by someone else or ourselves, suffer an injustice.  We prevail and move forward while at the same time carrying with us the identifier of having been hurt, challenged or what have you.  How does that serve us as we move forward?  It doesn't.
I truly believe that we are given challenges and moments of struggle to teach us lessons, to provide us with opportunities for growth and to help us along our true path. By holding onto these hard times by identifying ourselves with them, we can never fully move forward.
So I am no longer going to be the injured runner, the broken-hearted girl, the lonely woman.  Instead I am going to celebrate all of the strengths and unique qualities that I have gained as the fruits of my labour in overcoming these bumps in the road.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Solar Return Reflections

 As I embark on a new solar return, I am compelled to reflect on the year that is closing behind me. Exercises like these often have us remembering the big wins or struggles, the notable changes and shifts that have taken place, the happenings that are impossible to ignore. And while all of those items are important to note, savour, and pay attention to, I find myself drawn to the smaller moments in time. The almost imperceptible yet impactful catalysts that are most often responsible for growth.  What I find interesting about those tiny agitators is the amount of pain and discomfort they often create as they push us to respond. Like the grain of sand in our shoe that will cause a blister if we don't stop to remove it, ignoring these pain points only leads to longer-lasting, deeper dis-ease if not attended to. It was during a visit with a dear friend this past week that this point was driven home for me. I was describing to her a feeling of overwhelm I had been dealing with (o...
Read more

Letting Go

 This past weekend, I helped my eldest son as he prepared to take the next big step in his life's adventures.  It felt bittersweet to watch as he packed up the room in his apartment, in anticipation of setting up a new room in a new city in the near future.  I have felt proud of him over the past few months as he has navigated many unknowns and new situations with a sense of certainty and enthusiasm for what lies ahead.  Deep down, I marvelled at his ability to let go, to embrace the new opportunities being presented while letting go of the life he had been establishing over the past couple of years.  Thinking back to when I was his age, I am not sure that I would have had the ability to make these same decisions so easily.  Sure, I have had my fair share of tough choices and have navigated change as I have journeyed through life. Still, I have often felt a sense of dis-ease when it comes to letting go of what is or has been to make room for what might be....
Read more

Cheer Stations

 Yesterday, I ran my fifth full marathon, my first in two years.  The idea felt daunting at first - I hadn't forgotten how all-encompassing the training could feel, spanning sixteen weeks and requiring hundreds of kilomteters to be travelled simply to complete those last 42.2.  And yet, there I was, signing up and taking on the work. Training went well - the weeks seemed to pass more quickly than I expected them to, and despite a slightly cranky hamstring, my body and mind adapted to the workouts and didn't put up roadblocks along the way.  Getting up and getting out for those early morning runs and long weekend runs became routine, and something I looked forward to.  Especially the long runs that had me crossing the city instead of sticking to very well-worn routes from previous training blocks.  Friends started to inquire about the big day, and I noticed that many of them seemed to be more excited about the race than I was.  With it not being my firs...
Read more