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When the Going Gets Tough

Lauren Grace Living

Archive

When the Going Gets Tough

A few months ago I signed up to run my first full marathon. As I am only 2 months out at this point I have been seriously upping my game and my milage. And I am discovering that running is way better then therapy.

When you go on a long run it’s amazing the amount of clarity and insight you gain. Running is also the perfect way to get out all your frustrations, fears, and anxiety. You can literally sweat it out. This past weekend I went for a 10 mile run that as expected, proved to be quite enlightening.

Around mile 7 a little touch of runners knee started to kick in. Which basically means your knee starts to hurt really bad. Now the safe thing to do at that point would be to stop running so that I don’t injure myself. But of course, that’s not what I did. I kept running determined to make it to 10 miles. Every 1/4 mile or so I would stop and rub my knees to ward off the pain temporarily, and then continue to run. This went on for the next 3 miles until I made it to 10.

As I was pushing through those last few miles I realized that most people would have stopped when their knee started to hurt. Most people would have given up at that point. And it certainly would have been the healthy thing to do. I realize that pushing my body as much as I did wasn’t great for my joints. But that aside, I didn’t stop and I remained committed to my 10 mile goal. I pushed through the pain and went the extra mile.

This realization made me feel strong and empowered. I have a lot of upheaval and change going on in my life right now. And to be honest things have been tough and scary. But when I recognized this inner strength in myself to push through that pain, I realized that I can apply that to every area of my life. I am strong and resilient when met with a challenge. When the going gets tough, I don’t give in, I push onward.

I’m sure this strength has been with me all along, but I feel like I am just rediscovering it. This gives me comfort to know that no matter what happens in my life I can make it through, and that I have the tenacity to hold on and ride this roller-coaster. I realized that I am no stranger to living outside of my comfort zone, taking risks, and facing challenges head on. I’ve been doing it all my life and will continue to. Yes, I’m actually kind of a badass, and it feels awesome!

I am not writing this blog to just give myself an ego boost.  I wanted to share this story to inspire you to find your own inner strength. I believe we all have it, but sometimes we don’t discover it until we really need it. Think about how you face challenges in your life. When the going gets tough what do you do? Do you step up? Are you willing to go out of your comfort zone and face uncertainty? Can you keep the faith and keep going when everything seems like its falling apart?

If you are feeling like you are lacking in the strength department then I would encourage you to pick up a fitness activity like running, strength training, or yoga. An activity where you can create a goal for yourself that will require you to push past your comfort zone. Engaging in this form of exercise is the ultimate mind body connection. Your body will not only benefit, but so will your mind. As you build physical strength you are also building your willpower muscle.  There is something magical that happens when you go above and beyond what you thought you were capable of. You tap into this power that you never thought you had. And once you get a taste of your own strength, there is no stopping you!