Runners Mindset: Story and Reflection

I took training very seriously for my first 1/2 marathon (the Mayor's half in Anchorage) back in 2016. My friend Lana (wearing the blue tank) was a seasoned runner who thought my schedule was overly structured and intense. She'd run several halves and a few marathons. Still, I insisted, that we stick to the method I had researched and downloaded from the Google experts. 😉 (She likely regretted being my accountability/training partner 😂). My husband, also pictured, did almost no training. (His longest run leading up to it was 5 miles - once.) It was a bit irritating that he kept pace with us easily the whole time without putting in the same sweat equity - but I digress.

She stayed with me for the run rather than going at her naturally faster pace. The training and accountability set me up for success. The last half-mile of the race was daunting, with 2 giant hills. My lungs, heart, legs, and feet were begging me to stop. My mind was faltering and flirting with the idea of walking up the hills. That's when my husband recognized the self-defeating clues in my posture, gaze, and step. He sprung into action - running ahead of us shouting, "Come on, Tonya, Come on, Lana," he cheered while clapping. He turned around and ran backward up the hills in front of us to face us with his encouragement. For me, it did the trick. It was just what I needed to double down and focus on one step at a time. But for my friend Lana, well, in her mind, he was taunting us..."Look at me, I didn't train, I can run backward faster than you up hill..." And with that, she succumbed...

She finished just 30 seconds behind me but should have blown past me given her fitness level. She was upset at my husband for a little while. In my mind, he was my biggest fan. In her mind, he was jeering at her.

This is a great example of giving the benefit of the doubt. Even if he had been mocking me, by assuming positive intent, I showed up as my best self. By assuming the worst, it interfered with her natural mental stamina.

Running and medicine both highlight the importance of training. Your performance and endurance in both are also affected by your perceptions.

Where may you want to work on gaining a new perspective in situations to fuel you rather than defeat you? What would assuming positive intent change for you?

Don't worry, my friend and husband talked and cleared up the misunderstandings. (My husband now uses running backward for encouragement sparingly these days. 😂)