You suck at running? I believe you!

The second thing most people tell me is that they suck at running. Weird, right? It happens all the time. And it happens almost immediately after they introduce themselves. Hi, I’m Pete. I suck at running. Hey, I’m Darla. I’m terrible at running. My name is Shanice. It’s nice to meet you… I run… but I’m really bad. I’m used to it. I’m not sure everyone is ready for my response though. Because I tell them I believe them. You think you suck? Okay. You suck. You don’t believe you’re any good at running? Good to know. Coaching is based on trust after all. So, I trust you. You suck.

Doesn't change my job. And my job is a simple one. I want you to leave our time together a little better. Now, if you're one of those people that always tells yourself that you suck then maybe I should rephrase my goal for you. Instead of you leaving a little better… I want you to leave sucking a little less. Less sucky. Does that sound more natural to you? Like I said, it doesn't change my job. Because a little bit better & a little less sucky mean the same thing. Granted, a little better is a more positive way to look at what we’re striving for.

But I understand it can be hard to be a good teammate to yourself. And I know that it’s not easy to be a strong friend to yourself. I know that being a supportive coach to ourselves is difficult. But I also know that running can be hard & being a shitty teammate, coach or friend to yourself only makes running harder. And making things harder than they need to be doesn't make you better. It just makes things harder. And oddly enough, making things harder for yourself is the easy thing to do.

Being a jerk? Easy peezy. Being an unsupportive asshole? Lemon squeezy. You're not getting better when you're being an obnoxious critic to yourself or tearing yourself down. You’re not improving when you refuse needed help because you tell yourself you don’t deserve it? Not… hard… to… do and not… getting… better.

You want to know what is hard to do? Building yourself back up after you fall apart. That’s hard. Believing in yourself. That’s tough. Holding on to hope during a rough run or a day. That’s some badass behavior. Accepting help. That’s not easy because it demands confidence and courage. Being kind to yourself. That takes real strength. And those things actually lead to you getting better.

So, go ahead, introduce yourself & tell me you suck at running or better yet… tell me you can be better. I know… it may be hard to say. But admitting that you are good enough to get better sucks a little less. And that’s the goal, right?