The great thing about running, is that our challenges in life are often paralleled with our challenges in our running/training. Growing up I was never an “athletic person”. Being an over weight child who was to self-conscious about participating in sport once I got to high school I just considered myself a non-athlete, even though I was very comfortable in the gym! It was not until my mid-twenties that I started running, but had to stop due to foot injuries.

I have been consistently running, training hard and improving my abilities for almost two years now. During this time I have noticed all that life has brought me. Life does not stay still while we continue to run, it continues to happen all around us despite our wishing we could press pause once in a while. How nice would that be if we could pause life in the middle of the day when things get stressful, go for a good long run and then return to whatever was going on feeling great and ready to take on the world!?

But what I have noticed is that during the last two years a few things changed in my life as my running improved. First, I became a runner, an athlete, and as a result my overall confidence has improved. When I am faced with a hard decision in life I can usually think of a hard training run or race and think about how I got through that. Life is full of choices, and as runners we choose to take the hard road. We choose to suffer in the heat or cold. We choose to work hard. And as a result we are rewarded. I find that when I am on the road running a long run, or on the track doing speed work there comes a point during the workout that I question my abilities. Can I really finish this? I am so tired. I would like to stop and walk a little. No! Keep going! Keep going! And at the end of the workout I can honestly say that I am so glad I kept going! I always feel so much better than before I started, and with the accomplishment brings a great sense of pride and confidence.

The next time you face a challenge in life remember your accomplishments in running and how you got there. Whether it be a new job, new family member or friend, loss of a loved one, or a hard decision: perseverance, hard work, mental toughness and belief in yourself. These are the qualities we all build within ourselves as runners. And these are the qualities we use in everyday life.