Of all the tens-of-thousands of workouts I’ve done in my life, one of my all-time favorites was a track workout in the midst of hurricane season on the east coast. The winds were insane and there were large tree branches and other types of debris all over the track, along with the early part of a torrential downpour. I was committed to finishing the workout, and the conditions that Mother Nature brought that day made it a unique combination. I felt proud for finishing the workout, as I do when I run through a blizzard, thunderstorm (without lightning!), or temperatures in the 90s with equally high humidity.
For those that don't flinch in the face of non-ideal weather, there is a great sense of pride in committing to doing your workouts outside. When you're the only one outside on those kinds of days, it should boost your sense of determination, motivation, and your self-identity as an athlete. Having great weather should not be your only motivator, but nor should training through non-great weather be your only source of pride. Look back on what you've accomplished throughout the last 6 or 12 months. Hopefully you can find a way to label it as "successful", regardless of what conditions have unfolded. This is 100% tied into proper goal setting because a mainstay of proper goal setting is the ability to adjust on the fly when there are changes in the environment.
If you're a runner, always remember that most people in your age group in the general population don't do what you do. Have pride in your dedication and commitment to athletic goals, and also have pride in your dedication to an active, healthy lifestyle. As a coach, I help folks go faster and farther, and to add some structure and accountability into the grand scheme. For instance, during the late summmer and heading into the fall, the athletes I coach are primed to hit PRs at most of their races, and we've most likely added new modes of training into their routines, and/or changed their running form for the better. Additionally, they've most likely solved some of the riddles of their injuries and ailments. There is a sense of pride in these accomplishments.
I began racing again in 2021...following my “retirement” and in all honesty the athletes I coach inspired me to dust off my bike and swim goggles during the covid pandemic. I want my athletes to have a sense of pride in being active virtually every day ("sweat once per day", according to Lululemon). You can take the view that “life is short”, or you can take the Jethro Tull view that “life is a long song”. Whichever way you view it, be proud about something you do in life. Running is an easy choice, because again most people can't do it or won't do it—phrased alternatively, they can't stick to a healthy lifestyle (at least not in the U.S., based on our staggering levels of sedentary behavior). Leading an active lifestyle is the most important variable in any conversation about public health!
Along with cycling, running is, by definition, the easiest sport in the world from a biomechanical perspective (i.e., putting one foot in front of the other), but is also more cardiovascular-ly demanding than most other modes of exercise. Therefore, feel proud in your running accomplishments no matter if they seem like “beginner” status, and don’t let social media get the better of you in this regard. Meaning, the psychological/scientific research on happiness (positive psychology) has been producing very consistent results for the last decade as to how social media is largely responsible for increasing rates of anxiety and depression (among other variables, of course), so again, as much as some of those posts might inspire you, make sure you’re not “poor by comparison.” Feel proud! Keep running!
Train Smarter, Not Harder!
Mike