“I’m not a runner…”

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Shared by Breanne Smedley

Yesterday, I got a text from Sennad Fallak, saying he was registering me, along with a couple of others in the SeaWheeze half marathon.

We had talked a little bit about this race, and how it might be fun to do.

It’s the one that Lululemon puts on in Vancouver, BC every year.

It sounded like a lot of fun.

Awesome city.

Pre and post-race parties.

Yoga, meditation, pampering.

Exclusive Lulu gear.

And 13.1 miles of running…

“Any chance I can skip that part?” I thought.

I’m not a runner.

I don’t log miles every week.

I don’t have cool running shoes specifically designed for my unique foot contours.

I don’t own chafe-resistant shorts to prevent my thighs from becoming raw from hours of rubbing together.

I’m not even sure I can run a 5K without stopping. I haven’t tried in years.

These are the thoughts floating around in my head yesterday.

They are all true.

However, they are also limiting.

Telling myself “I’m not a runner,” so I can’t run a half-marathon is really my inner-critic at work.

That inner voice that tells us what we should or shouldn’t do.

Rooted in our past experiences, and our beliefs, this inner judge is constantly guiding our lives.

Guiding us towards whatever it feels will make us successful and accepted by ourselves and others.

And guiding us away from whatever it feels might make us fail.

“Don’t run a half-marathon, you’re not a runner! You do CrossFit now.”

“13.1 miles is a lot. You’ll probably have to walk, and that will be embarrassing.”

This voice limits us.

Limits our capacity to be alive in the present moment.

Limits our ability to experience life.

What makes someone “a runner?”

Isn’t someone who runs, by definition, a runner?

It doesn’t take anything special. It’s like walking, only a little faster.

By definition, I am a runner.

Ryan Fletcher brought light to this topic when he was talking about the limiting beliefs of Elite Storytellers.

Regarding the belief of “I’m not a writer,” he said,

“When someone says, “I’m not a writer,” what they’re really saying is, “I don’t have any confidence in “my skill” as a writer.” Which is perfectly fine, because skills are meant to be improved.”

Perfect.

My running skills, like anything else, are just something that I need to improve.

So, I will train. I’ll get better.

And I will change the voice of my inner-critic in the process.

SeaWheeze here we come!

 

#MindfullyEvolving

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