4 miles today :) Walked twice. Last two miles were VERY SLOW. But I’m proud I went the distance. These were my thoughts about how running is like life.

1. You don’t make a whole lot of progress running if you are always turning around and looking at where you have been. You learn after your run is over… by looking at how you did overall and making adjustments. Maybe this is why our lives flash before our eyes when we die? That’s when we learn our big lessons?

2. You can define your run by what is happening at the moment or you can wait and take a more macro view. Just because it sucks in that moment… no sun, rain, you are tired, your feet hurt, whatever…. doesn’t mean that is what is going to define your whole run. Life is like that.

3. It’s important to stay present in the moment and enjoy each footfall. Just think about each moment. Not how the hell you are going to go for another mile. Spend as much time focusing on what is good as what needs adjustment.

4. Runs are better if you have a plan in place. Know where you going. You don’t want to waste precious energy making stupid decisions. If you have a clear plan before hand… you will make more progress.

5. You are what you train for. If you train on a treadmill, you can run on a treadmill. If you run on pavement, can you run on pavement. So it’s best to have lots of variety. The other important point is that HILLS will make running everthing else easier eventually. So it’s best to take the pain early and not put off learning to do them. Just like life… learn to push through the pain early and it will pay off later.

6. Tenacity can greatly compensate for skill.

7. Having a philosophy of why you are running is motivating and steering. It’s not just about the “how”… it’s about the “why”.

8. It’s ok to slow down, it’s ok to have distractions, it’s ok to have periods when you “check out” mentally.

9. Comparing yourself to others might help you improve your time, distance or form… but whether it helps you feel better about your run is hit or miss.

10. Running, like life, has a physical component… but the real tough stuff is mental.

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