BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - Dealing with Disappointment

Hello runner friends!

Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about how a runner should deal with disappointment or as defined, sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one's hopes or expectations... especially when it comes to the nonfulfillment of their hopes to cross the finish line of a race they've been training hard for. Now whether or not this has happened to you yet, every runner WILL experience disappointment for one reason or another if they run long enough. Just ask my friend Shelley. She was all trained up for the Garmin Marathon Saturday and then life happened and disappointment set in. 

And this is how Shelley decided to deal with her disappointment, posting this the night before her 26.2 mile race... Back in December I decided to train for another marathon. I set my sites on the Garmin Marathon. 18 weeks, over 800 miles, chiropractor appointments, and acupuncture I was feeling ready!!!! What I wasn’t prepared for was illness. It hit me hard 6 days ago. Good news: not COVID. Bad news: my lungs hate me. I mean REALLY hate me. I had to make a decision and emailed the race Director two days ago. So here I sit in my hotel room in Olathe preparing to run the half marathon for fun with my girlfriends. Am I frustrated, yes. Did I have a huge crying fit to my husband a few days ago, you’re damn right I did. But this is life. And things don’t always go the way we want them to. I am happy that at least physically I am capable of muddling through 13.1 miles. It won’t be pretty but I’ll get it done. And make some memories with some great friends.

And this is what Shelley posted afterwards... Hello sub 2 hour half marathon. Man did I pull that out of my butt!  I almost had to drop at mile 4 after having a huge coughing fit but managed to pull it together. It definitely helped that I had trained to run twice the distance. Thank you everyone for the well wishes. Now to recover, recoup, and set some new goals. 

Okay, there are just so many things I love about Shelley’s attitude but here are the top three things I think we could (and should) all learn from her experience...

1. Disappointments, when overcome, can lead to great victories. Shelley said it herself... “it definitely helped that I had trained to run twice the distance.” Her extra training (that she would not have done otherwise) led to a sub 2-hour finish! How's that for turning disappointment into delight??? Which brings me to point number two.

 

2. Disappointments can only keep you from doing what you CAN if you let them. Refuse the urge to attend your own pity party when things don't go as you want them to. Voice your frustrations to your friends or spouse and then move on. Cut down on distance if you have to, just get out there. And if an injury or illness has you completely sidelined from running, think about volunteering instead. I've done this before and let me tell you, helping other runners fulfill their hopes and expectations will put a smile on your face and motivate you to hang in there until you're able to run again. 

3. When faced with disappointment, choose to smile and find the silver lining (and there is always a silver lining). Shelley knew that this 'change in plans' wasn't all bad. She found happiness in the knowledge that she was well enough to at least muddle through 13.1 miles. And running the half meant she would be making more memories with her friends (who were also doing the half). And isn't that what running's all about anyway? Having fun and making memories? 

Okay friends, so if you're like I was after reading Shelley’s posts and interested in the rest of the story, here it is. This is what Shelley had to say when I reached out to her and asked, "What motivated you to run your B race when the A one was a no-go? Why are you glad you did? And why is this a good attitude to adopt?" 

Long and short of last week: by Wednesday my respiratory infection went from bad to worse, just speaking threw me into coughing fits. After a long cry and pity party I faced the facts. I wasn’t injured but I was sick. So I e-mailed the race director and decided to at least try to run the half marathon (hey, I didn’t train 18 weeks for nothing). By race day, Saturday, I was better but nowhere close to well. The plan was simple: don’t blow away (sustained 25-30 mph winds) and don’t pop a lung. I lined up with the 2:30 pacer and went into cruise mode. Mile two I got into a groove and the next thing I knew I was passing the 2:25, then 2:20, then 2:15 pacers. Oh my! By mile 10 I could see the 2:00 pacer and said to myself “game on!” After all, I trained to run twice this distance. Lungs burned, body fighting a crazy head wind and 40 mph gusts but I was gaining ground. Mile 12.5 I passed her. I couldn’t believe I finished in 1:58. And so there you go. Casting all my fears aside, putting that race in His hands, and trusting my training I walked away from that race having accomplished another half. When life hands you lemons take the seeds and plant a tree. Something that will give you roots, nourishment, and life. Like what this running journey has given me. 

Anyone else picture Shelley walking away from that race like she had just done a mic drop??

So there you have it friends. Disappointment doesn't have to lead to dismay and despair if you have the right attitude. Remember that when life hands you lemons (and it always will), you can let them make you sour, sad and stagnant or you can, like Shelley said, take the seeds and plant a tree.... leaving you with sweet and beautiful memories to cherish forever. So when life happens and things don't go as planned, I hope you'll choose to plant a tree. Lemon trees just make the world a prettier place to be. 

HAPPY RUNNING!