MIDWEEK MOTIVATION Keeping a good perspective

Hello runner friends! Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series 

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog of which I am blessed to write. Now let's get started by talking about Perspective! 

Many years ago while training for my third Boston Marathon, I developed peroneal tendonitis. After trying to train through the pain for a while I finally accepted defeat and sought medical help. "No running for six weeks," the doctor told me. "And you'll need to wear a walking boot." With seven weeks until the big race, my optimistic attitude soon changed to a somber one. I could be healed in time to run but wouldn't be properly trained if I took that much time off. 

So, here's the deal.... every one of us will get injured. It's just the way it is. And if we don't miss out on a race because of injury, there are a million other reasons we may have to sit one out. And here's where a change of perspective can be just what we need. 

Consider this... had I chosen to wallow in my self pity, I never would have listened to a fellow runner's advice to do all my training in a pool. I would have the endurance to finish the race, she had told me, but it would be painful as my body would not be used to the pounding and I would start hurting early on. I knew then that a positive attitude would be crucial - and doesn't every runner know that a good attitude can be the difference in finishing or giving up? Thank God I was able to finish the race in my slowest marathon up to that date and learned something amazing along the way from a wise "friend" I met on the course. And here's a bit of the story I wrote after that day.... At the infamous Heartbreak Hill, I had had enough, or should I say my legs had screamed surrender. After already having alternated between running and walking twenty miles due to an injury, I had slowed down to only a walk. Oh boy, this was going to be a long and hard last 6.2 miles I thought to myself. Then, from behind, I heard a man say, "Perspective." "Excuse me", I said to which he replied, "It's all about perspective. You see, you think you are only walking but if you step it up a bit like so (as he demonstrated) and imagine you are running, your mind will catch on and you will be running. Let me show you." And just like that, my new friend from Hong Kong and I were running! This new perspective got us to the finish line a bit quicker but, more importantly, had me once again counting my blessings.

So let me encourage you friends! Whether your training plan has been cut short or altered by COVID, by injury or by anything else, now is not the time to throw in the towel but to change your perspective. And if perspective can be defined as a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something, your point of view can make a huge difference in whether you are successful or not. So what are some great reasons to keep a good outlook? 

• Because what we perceive to be our biggest obstacles can also lead to our biggest successes! What do I mean by that? All those weeks and hours in the pool aqua running by myself gave me the mental toughness I would need the next year to complete two 100-mile races. How's that for using a perceived bad situation for good???

• Because choosing to keep a bad attitude can keep you from a changed direction that may alter your life or the life of someone else. Consider this, choosing to look for the good in ANY situation will allow you to be open to different ways to achieve your goal. Discovering the benefits of aqua running firsthand inspired me to not only incorporate it into my own training and recovery plans but to teach it to others! As a certified running coach, this is the technique I began using to help older and disabled "athletes." I've now had "runners" in their seventies and eighties be able to experience the joy of running again by doing it in the water!!!! 

• Because life happens! With so many things out of our control, choosing to look for the good in ALL situations gives us the willingness to change our goals. By changing my goal from running the race as fast as I could to merely finishing it, I made a new friend and made an impact on my teenage son who met me at the finish line with a huge hug and said, "I'm so proud of you Mom. You didn't give up." 

• Because every time you learn to see the potential in a test or trial, you become stronger and smarter. You learn how to better cope with the twists and turns of life while remaining joyful and keeping a smile on your face. 

And on a final note, while you may find it hard to keep a joyful attitude at first, remember this... running is a gift. It is not something we are entitled to do but are allowed to do by God's grace. So if you have the ability to run or walk today, be grateful for each mile no matter how slow or fast it may be. And don't forget to smile while you're doing it! You'll not only change your attitude for the better but you'll spread the joy to those around you. 😊

Happy Running!!!

Proverbs 17:22

Alive & Breathing - Matt Maher