What Running Teaches (strength, fit)

I have always run, or at least that is the way it seems. As with most people it started as fun, as play. Now I run less for sport, and more for myself. I am not trying to run great distances; I am not trying to beat the man in the lane beside me. Today I run for other reasons – for what running can do for me beyond the physical. I run for what running teaches me.

The second lesson – strength builds in increments and is relative, but you must work at it. This morning I ran 13 km, or about 8 miles. That is a considerable distance to some people, to others it is a warmup. But the key consideration is that this is not a distance I started at – the key is that I decided to put in the work. With the extra time, I could have laid in bed for an extra hour, but instead I chose to work. I chose to try and improve.

This lesson carries over into other areas. You succeed only when you are willing to put in the effort. It is the work that makes you stronger. If you are willing to start small, to build a bit each day you eventually get faster, stronger, smarter, better. It is the work and the effort that makes you improve; it is the work that makes you succeed.

Seldom are there situations where a little bit of work will not lead to success.

The third lesson – similar is not equal. Or something built for one purpose, does not work as intended when used for something else. A quick look through Amazon should indicate that there is a big difference between athletic shoes. Running, training, and walking shoes, shoes for hiking, jogging, and exercise walking. There are court sport shoes, including shoes for tennis, basketball, and volleyball. Field sport shoes, such as those for soccer, football, and baseball. Track and field sport shoes that often come in many models to meet the specific needs and training styles of individual runners. Then we add in specialty sport shoes, including shoes for golf, aerobic dancing, and bicycling. Finally, outdoor sport shoes, including shoes used for recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, and boating. Why so many? Simply because each need is a little different. Sure, the fundamental requirement is the same (coverings for your feet) but the details vary.

The same holds with “solutions” that worked elsewhere. At work we are continually bombarded with the experts who know exactly what is needed because it is “Just like what we did at…” The problem here is it is not just like…it is more accurately “exactly like that, but different.” Typically, that indicates the larger requirement is the same, but the variation lies in the details. Sure shoes, with some modifications can help you run, so to can a solution that has been tweaked to account for the variances.

No solution will work without accounting for the variables – everything takes tweaking.