Running Through Life’s Transitions

The heat and humidity combine to form an unwanted blanket that wraps itself around me as I run (run being a strong word) up the long and winding hill. My breathing comes in rasps as my concrete legs slowly pound up. And up. And up. I am in the middle of a workout I have done a million times before on this exact same trail, and I cannot help but roll my eyes at the memories of how much better it has felt in those million times before. This is what running through life’s transitions feels like.

The Weight of Change

Except…I am not just here on this trail. I am also in the middle of a huge life transition involving a new job, a new sleep schedule, a new eating schedule, and new people and responsibilities. I am carrying more weight up this hill than what’s in my pack. Good or bad, it is a heavy season. And my legs, well, they feel it.

Stress: The Invisible Load

Some years ago, I heard David Roche, an ultramarathoner and coach, discuss stress in a way that was new to me. You see, while our brains can categorize and separate types of stress (good, bad, family, work, training, etc.), our bodies cannot. All stress goes into the same bucket. This means that sometimes, we have to make adjustments so that the bucket doesn’t overflow in negative ways. And sometimes, those adjustments have to occur to our training and racing. 

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The Challenge of High Expectations

Now, I don’t know about you, but I can be incredibly hard on myself. In life, and in running, I can set my bars high and my expectations higher. I would venture to say I’m not the only endurance athlete who’s like this. And when I fall short of what I’ve set out to do, I can be so mean to myself. If I’m really being honest, adjustments to training or racing in the face of life changes can trigger feelings of failure in me.

Why can’t I rise above? How did this become so hard to handle? Why can’t I just do all the things? Because I’m human. And it may not be because I can’t, I may just need some time to adapt to a new framework. I may just need to change my approach. I may just need to be patient and be a little kinder to myself.

Embracing Grace and Flexibility

These liminal seasons don’t last forever. While things may look different, if you’re patient and give yourself some grace, you can grow into your new circumstances. Who knows, they may even be better than what you left behind! Keep showing up and be willing to think outside the box. As a coworker of mine once told me, “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not break!”

Looking Forward: Hope in Transition

Don’t let stubbornness cause you to break in the end. Don’t let change rob you of joy and intimidate you out of what you love. Though that run never felt any better for me, I still finished it the best I could, and I will show up for the next run knowing that at some point, things will get easier. If you are running through life’s transitions like me, I hope you’ll give yourself some grace and just keep showing up. Brighter days are ahead.

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