Exhausted

This is about running. This is not about running.

Nov 08, 2024

There’s a better than great chance that you read the title of this newsletter and thought that this issue is all about you. And you are right. It is. I’m writing about exhaustion because I’ve been hearing from so many of you over the last few weeks and especially the last few days. And what I’m hearing from you is that you’re exhausted. So, let’s talk about it. I know you’re tired. I know you’d rather not talk about it. I know that because that’s exactly what exhausted people tend to do. When it’s time to deal with the fatigue they change their tune. I’m not really exhausted. I was just feeling sorry for myself. Or they say they’re too tired to deal with it. Not now. We can talk about it later. Later… when they are even more tired and less likely to deal with it. Ugh. You know what can be exhausting? Dealing with exhausted people. But I’m going to deal with it right now. So, stay awake a little longer and listen up.

Let’s start with the dictionary. You see what I did right there? At least 20% of the readers immediately fell asleep. Boom! Some of you are going to wake up not having read this newsletter in it’s entirety but already feeling a little better. You’re welcome. Now, wipe that drool off your chin and get back to reading this newsletter.

Exhausted. It’s an adjective. Adjectives describe or modify something. What? You already knew that? That’s great. But not everyone knows what you know. Now everyone that’s reading this knows what you already knew. They’ve caught up with you. Pretty awesome right? Unless you were trying to maintain your lead on this matter of grammar… which would be wacky. Wacky is also an adjective. Wacky means absurdly or amusingly eccentric or irrational. I would have to say absurdly irrational fits the situation more than any other combo. Why are you worried about people knowing as much as you know? You think there is a limited amount of knowledge to go around? Wrong! Knowledge is infinite and it’s a power source! Share that stuff!

Anyway, let’s get back to business here. Exhaustion. Adjective. The first definition of exhaustion states that exhausted means depleted in strength, energy or freshness. I get it. You get it. It’s a great definition. Straightforward. But I’m a second definition guy most of the time. And the second definition is even more direct. Completely used up. Yup, that’s the second definition of exhausted. Completely… used… up. And let me tell you something here - I’ve never had more people tell me that they are exhausted… second definition exhausted… than I have over the last few weeks. That’s not to say that there are more exhausted people now than there were 4 years ago or 40 years ago. What it is saying, at least to me, is that there are more people strong enough now to admit that they are exhausted. That gives me hope. More on that later.

First, let me just say that you do not need to be in a bad place to be exhausted. It’s exhausting to train for and do a race that really matters to you like a marathon or half marathon or 10K or 5K (or 1500m if you were once an adorable curly haired boy from NJ with big dreams). And you can be exhausted after you race your best and finally set that PB you’ve been chasing or put together an effort that you are at long last proud of. Euphoria can be exhausting.

When you are exhausted try and fill up your tank with people, places, experiences, and activities that restore and revivify you.

You realize after you cross the finish line that you did it. And it wasn’t just a race. It was a goal. It was a commitment. It was recommitting over and over to that original commitment. It was minutes and meters and miles that just led to more minutes and meters and miles. It was breakthroughs and barriers broken and it was stumbles and falls and injuries and sickness and sacrifices and it was building confidence and dealing with doubts and staying focused and showing up and showing up and showing up and it was being nervous and excited and anxious and that’s all before you even cross the starting line on race day.

Exhausted. I get it. And you crushed it.

And you can be exhausted when things don’t work out. You can be exhausted because you’ve been hurt or battling sickness. And yes, standing on the sideline can be totally exhausting. (I’ve never been more exhausted than when I was apart from and not a part of something I loved.) And you can be exhausted when you are misunderstood over and over again. You can be exhausted from telling the truth to people that don’t want to hear it. You can be exhausted from doing the right thing because doing the right thing isn’t always easy to do. You can be exhausted from responsibilities and obligations. You can be exhausted from the spotlight. You can be exhausted from being ignored. You can be exhausted from school or work or home life or relationships you are in or relationships you were in. The news can be exhausting. Lack of news can be exhausting. And pretending you are not exhausted is exhausting.

Admitting you are exhausted is not about giving up. It’s about starting the process of filling back up! And coming back from being exhausted is not about being lazy or doing nothing. It’s about doing something about it and taking action so you can take more and better and more sustained action. So, let me just tell you all this. If you’re exhausted… it’s going to take verbs to change that adjective. Verbs like recover and replenish and rejuvenate and restore and revitalize and recharge and refresh and my personal favorite… revivify. Taking care of yourself demands work. Protecting your mental well being demands work. Recovery takes work. Healing takes work.

So, if you’re exhausted… oddly enough you need to get to work. Work on sleeping better and laughing more. Work on surrounding yourself with people that make you feel more wholly you. Work on kicking toxic people out of your circle. Work on bringing the people and things that bring you joy into your life. Work on filling up your tank. Work out a kick ass crying session. Work in some time alone or time together or time dancing or reading or writing or screaming. (Seriously. Sometimes a real good titanic yawp can reignite some of your inner kindling.) And work on being honest with yourself. That’s a tough one. A potentially exhausting one. But you can start working on that one by admitting you’re exhausted when you’re exhausted.

By the way, admitting you are exhausted takes strength. Real strength. Not made for social media glossy photos or extraordinarily well done edited reel kind of strength. I’m talking about the kind of strength you can call upon on a rainy Tuesday as you walk around your apartment alone strength. Quiet strength. The kind of strength you can rely on, count on, lean on. Admitting your exhausted takes that kind of strength.

So, when you tell me you are exhausted I know that you still have a little something-something left. I know that you are not completely used up. I know that you have what it takes to start healing. And that’s why I know that you will be back. Filled up. Vital. Powerful. And that gives me hope. Because we need you back on the starting line rested and recovered and recharged and ready to cross it again.

Remember that. Believe it. Know it.

Because there’s a lot of exhausted people that need our help on the other side of that line. So when you’re ready… I’ll meet you on the starting line.

Cheers,

Coach Bennett

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