8 Valuable Running Lessons I’ve Learned Over The Past 2 Years

Hey cunts,

Today I’m talking about valuable shit I’ve learned over the 2 years that has helped with running. These were things I believed, that weren’t true and they stopped me enjoying running as much as I could have.

1. You can stop on a run  – When I first started I wouldn’t pause on a run to go to the toilet, to cross a road, to get something to eat or to rest. If I stopped, my run was over otherwise “I was cheating”.  I’ve since discovered the beauty of the pause function. Stopping for a break can make you run further.
2. You don’t have to eat shitty sports gels/nutrition bars – Most sports nutrition is expensive and it’s designed to make you shit.  Stop off at a pub, store or a restaurant and get the food you love to eat and can eat easily and start again.
3. You don’t have to worry about pace – I obsessed for ages over minute mile pace and it didn’t make me enjoy it any more. I became a slave to my watch.
4. You don’t have to pretend you’re enjoying any of it – If you’re hating a run, you’re fucking hating a run. The media propagates this idea that you have to be constantly elated as a runner. You don’t. Sometimes shit goes bad and it’s OK to have a face like a slapped arse.
   
   Now I just pretend I’m hating it all the time and I find that funny 
5. You don’t have to take it seriously – You’ve already seen your race photos so you know what you look like whilst running. Everything in life is reduced to a dull competitive grind. Sometimes dancing to your own tune is therapeutic and will help you achieve a lot more.
6. You don’t have to train for shit or keep entering all the races – I got caught in the marathon training cycle where the most I was allowed to run in a day was 20 miles at a 11 minute mile pace. It was pretty limiting and ultimately caused burn out.
7. You can create your own events – Once I stopped drinking I was terrified of going on holiday as all I did was drink on them so instead I came up with the idea of running from one destination to the other across a number of days and booking my accommodation along the way. It’s a brilliant way of seeing the world and I’m hoping to run from Northern Portugal to the Algarve next year. It’s a real adventure where I’m always the winner and the loser.
8. You don’t have to compare yourself to other people, especially if it’s making you unhappy – If you’re jealous at other people’s achievements then maybe it’s time to focus on what you’re doing. It’s too easy to spend a lot of time comparing yourself to others and it’ll never make you happy. Concentrate on what brings you happiness and makes you feel at ease and to pursue that over anything else.