“This isn’t comfortable anymore!” my client Kristin declared
in the midst of running the Green Mountain Half Marathon in South Hero,
VT. Our once comfortable pace was now
becoming a bit more challenging for her and even the beautiful scenery along
the shores of Lake Champlain weren’t enough of a distraction from the discomfort
associated with the increased effort. Her goal was to break 2 hours, which she had
last done 10 years ago with a time of 1:59. Going sub 2 hours again would be
such an empowering accomplishment for her that she asked me to help pace her
through the entire race. Recognizing how important it was to her I couldn’t say
no.
Maintaining our pace was becoming a bit more laborious for
her, although based on her ability to still converse with me it was still reasonable.
I replied; “It’s not supposed to be comfortable!” We continued on our way,
reaching the half way point right on target to go sub 2 hours. The course
meandered through the Vermont countryside with continual breathtaking views
on both sides of the road. Besides the scenic vista of Lake Champlain we also
passed lakeside cottages, farmhouses, fields with cattle or horses, apple
orchards, a winery, and even a birdhouse forest (with a random dinosaur patroling the land).
All of these sights provided a wonderful distraction from
the physical demands of racing. Overall
our pace fluctuated a bit with the terrain changes, but when we reached the 10
mile mark we were on target to run a 1:57. I had avoided telling Kristin where
we were at pace-wise as she seemed to be locked in to a bit of a zone and I
didn’t want to interrupt her concentration. However, once we reached 10 miles I
let our progress be known to her. I could tell she was starting to struggle a
bit more to keep the pace so I wanted to let her know she was doing well. “We
have 30 minutes to cover 3 miles. This is going to happen! You just have to
hang in there and keep moving” She accepted this news with delight.
Ahead of us at mile 11 was the biggest challenge of the day,
a hill about ¾ of a mile long which climbed steadily up to the 12 mile mark. At
12 miles it would be either flat or downhill to the finish. “When we get to the
hill don’t worry about speed”, I instructed her. “Just keep moving! You don’t want to burn
yourself out on the hill and have nothing left for the finish”.
As we got to the hill I thought of the children’s classic
book. The Little Engine That Could in which the little engine repeatedly told
himself “I think I can” when attempting to climb a hill. Although I like the little engine’s “can-do”
attitude, the words “I think” leave the door open for doubt. While
inspirational indeed, I did one better and uttered the words, “I know I can” to
Kristin. As in, this is what you need to tell yourself to ensure success.
Steadily we climbed, breaking the hill up into increments,
focusing on going from tree to tree, signpost to signpost. I spied a street
sign ahead in the distance which marked the intersection with South Street
where we would turn left and reach the 12 mile mark. I pointed out the sign to
her; “That’s the top of the hill right there. Keep it up, we’re almost there!”
Shortly thereafter we reached the summit and joyously made
the turn. As we reached the 1 mile to go sign I turned to Kristin and said; “You
have 11 minutes to make it one mile. This is going to happen but you can’t get
cocky and slow down.” She chuckled a little bit at the thought of getting
cocky, but the message was obviously received and understood. Pulling in front
of her I acted as her rabbit to chase to the finish. I mentioned that the final
mile is flat and downhill (a gradual downhill but downhill nonetheless), but it
is also straight. This means the finish line is like a mirage in the distance,
never seeming to get closer. So, we initiated the same tactic as on the uphill
climb, taking it tree to tree, sign to sign, or house to house until finally
the finish was upon us. Kristin dug deep to kick to the finish in 1:58. Mission
accomplished! But it was more than just a sub 2 hour performance. She also set
a PR, besting her time from 10 years ago by one minute.
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After taking a few minutes to absorb the magnitude of what
she’d just accomplished she said to me; “I get it, I get it now!” I often tell
people, and I’ve also stated this in earlier blog posts, that running is a
metaphor for life. Exactly how, is what she now gets. Earlier in the race I
told her that it’s not supposed to be comfortable. That is true in running as
it in life. If you want to become a
faster runner, than you need to have times when you run at a faster pace, which
isn’t comfortable. But, this allows you to acclimate to the faster pace and
raise your threshold for what is considered uncomfortable.
In life, we sometimes go through challenging times, but
these challenging times make us stronger. We learn and grow in the process,
improving our capabilities for handling adversity. There are periods of comfort
in running and in life, which are necessary. However, if we never leave our
comfort zone we never grow stronger. Our accomplishments are limited and we never
find out that we are capable of far more than we imagined.
I also stated on the hill that the goal was just to keep
moving. It’s very easy to fall into the
mindset that we need to have quick progress when we are working toward an
objective. We think that, when making an effort to accomplish something, if
results don’t happen quickly they are not going to happen at all. But success
doesn’t happen quickly, especially when what we are pursuing is a challenging
goal. But if we place emphasis on just making forward progress, we find that
what once seemed unattainable, is in fact, within reach.
We should not be afraid to experience discomfort. Actually, we should become comfortable
with it. Discomfort by definition does
not imply comfort. But, when experiencing it, if we recognize and understand its
value than we can accept it as a necessary process for making life a wonderful
adventure. For without it, we don’t have the contrast that allows us to make the good times great, or to experience the thrill of high achievement. We end up just existing instead of truly living.
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