I just got back from a run.
I mean just got back.
My sneakers are still laced up, bandana is still tied around my head, sweat is dripping off my nose onto the “R” of my keyboard as we speak.
I ran 3.1 miles. That’s 5 kilometers for all my European fans.
This may not seem like a big deal because, let’s face it, running is just about the most accessible form of exercise there is. It’s cloudy and about 68 degrees outside at the moment so the weather is very non-controversial and 3 miles is truly not a staggering amount for a relatively in-shape person with no current injuries.
But, for me, it was a big deal.
Because I have a complicated relationship with running.
And by “complicated” I mean that I don’t enjoy it. At all.
I’m someone who is way more concerned about their deadlift PR or, quite frankly, the number of inches their bicep measures than their mile time.
In fact, I measure the success of every run not by how far I’ve gone but by how much sun I was able to get. I’m considering renaming the entire activity as “locomotive tanning”.
OK, I think you get the picture. But perhaps, my oversharing about running is prompting you to frustratingly yell at your laptop screen, “Hey Dan, if you don’t enjoy running so much, why do you do it?!?!”
First off, great question.
Secondly, I’d advise you not to yell at your computer. Because Janet from HR gave you “one last warning about disturbing the entire office” last time one of my blogs got your riled up and I really think she meant it this time.
Back to the question.
Two reasons. The first of which is very surface level. The Fort 5K is coming up and while my performance will be relatively embarrassing, I don’t want it to be entirely embarrassing.
But the second, more important reason, is that I do it because I don’t like it.
Sounds masochistic, I know. But, in all honesty, life can get pretty challenging. And I’ve always used training as a way of not only taking care of my body but also as a proxy to face challenges.
Because here’s the truth: You’re going to face hard things.
Some of them you choose. Most of them you don’t.
The deadline that came out of nowhere. The unexpected phone call in the middle of the night. The fight you didn’t want to have. The health scare you didn’t see coming.
And when those things hit — when you’re overwhelmed, overmatched, and over-it — it helps to have some history of doing hard things on purpose.
That’s what running is for me right now. That’s what losing weight and resistance training and competing in Olympic Weightlifting was before that.
And that’s what training, at its best, can be for anyone.
It’s practice.
Not just for looking better naked or living longer (which, not gonna lie, are still big motivators). But for showing up when things are uncomfortable. For staying present when it would be easier to tap out. For choosing discipline when escape would feel so much better.
And yeah, I know that sounds a little dramatic. But when you’ve built a habit of not quitting when it sucks, it becomes a little easier to stay upright when real life hits the fan.
That’s why I ran this morning. Not because I love the sound of my own breathing (which sounds remarkably similar to a broken down locomotive - I should really have that checked). Not because I’ve fallen in love with “the runner’s high” (which I’ve never experienced and, quite frankly, I think is a “Truman Show” style joke where everyone is in on it except me ). Not because I suddenly want to start tracking my splits like an actual runner (though feel free to follow me on Strava if you want a good laugh!).
I ran because I need to practice doing hard things before life hands me harder ones.
And if I can struggle through 3.1 miles at 8:12 in the morning with the Rocky IV soundtrack playing in my AirPods, maybe — just maybe — I’ll be a little better prepared when the struggle isn’t optional.
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