When it comes to your running, it’s easy to get carried away and only focus on the numbers and the results. However, if this is how you define success for yourself, then your running becomes incredibly binary and you don’t give yourself an opportunity to learn or improve. You either won (hit the time) or lost (missed the time). There’s nothing else. Sounds pretty depressing to me.
Sure you can do this, but I’d argue that this is short-sighted and will likely lead to more frustration and less fulfillment in the long run as opposed to adopting a process-oriented mindset. For example, you may have missed your goal time in this month's 5K time trial by a few seconds. In the binary world, you've failed. End of story. You missed your time and now you go home and think about what a failure you are and how you're just not good enough.
OR you could assess progress by acknowledging that this 5K felt easier than the last one, you were able to tolerate the discomfort in the closing stages for a few moments longer than last time, you smiled more and had more fun or your heart rate data indicates that you had a lower average heart rate despite putting out the same effort suggesting that your running economy has improved etc. etc. The list is endless.
Expand your definition of what success looks like and watch your life expand in equal proportions. I believe the 6-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion, Mark Allen, understood this best. Here’s a quote from him that I believe highlights this well:
“A lot of people are missing the greatness of sport because they are just focused on the numbers and the results. Those who have transcended the numbers and the results and found themselves or parts of themselves that they never knew they had because of sports, athletics, the community and the training - that’s when sport really becomes something great”
Comments