Just Show Up
I haven’t been running particularly well over the last 3-4 weeks. I was even dealing with a resurgence of an older injury at the beginning of this week that made me question if I should stop running altogether for the balance of the year while I get myself back up to 100%.
But then again, what is 100%? And when will I ever feel 100%?
Against better judgment, I decided to move forward with attacking the goal: a sub-20 minute 5k for the Holiday Buffaloe 5000 virtual 5k—hosted by Sir Walter Running and benefiting the Raleigh Rescue Mission.
Tony and I got to the Buffaloe Athletic Park around 7 AM on the coldest morning in North Carolina thus far in 2020. A balmy 27 degrees Fahrenheit.
Our warmup consisted of a 2-mile out-and-back on a paved greenway where we anxiously talked about investing, family, and our desired outcomes for the 5k ahead.
After a few adjustments and final preparations, we made our way to the track, synced up our watches, and fist-bumped to signal the start of our efforts.
The first 4 laps were fast but surprisingly sustainable. 5:44.
Laps 5-8 I started to pull back, ever so slightly. 5:54.
During laps 9-10, I knew the end was fast approaching and to my delight, I could tell I still had a lot of fuel left in the tank. I opted to pick the pace up again in preparation for an all-out burst in the final stretch.
Here we were, 2.5 laps to go, both of us well ahead of our preconceived stretch goals. It would take something catastrophic to stop us now. Time to push it!
I blasted through the “finish line” and looked down at my watch: 17:55.
2 minutes and 5 seconds faster than what I thought was already a lofty target for myself.
I looked down the track towards Tony and could see the same elated expression on his face. We both were recognizing a job well done and were subsequently recalibrating our potential.
I share this anecdote to highlight two realizations that became crystal clear to me after this weekend’s accomplishment: you don’t have to feel like it to show up, and if you keep showing up you’re going to move the needle.
When I woke up that morning, my body was tired, my muscles were tight, and the world outside was quite cold. Needless to say, staying in the warm comfort of my bed seemed like a much better choice than tying up my shoes and going to hit the track with my friend. But, we made an obligation to be accountable and to show up for each other to help us reach our goals. By showing up, we both saw success. An outcome that would not have been a reality had I decided to hit the snooze and not show up.
And this leads to consistency, or the ability and decision to continue showing up even when you don’t want to. Full disclosure—I haven’t done any all-out 5k efforts, or a whole lot of speedwork, in general, this year (or ever, really). I’ve spent the greater part of the year just running. Not a great deal of structure or strategy behind it. Even still, the fact that I’ve been choosing to be consistent in my running has led to me being faster than I ever have been while also increasing my annual volume. Showing up often is clearly moving the needle.
So, regardless of what your goals or interests are, show up. If it means enough to you, you will. And if you do, you will actualize your potential and inevitably achieve positive results.
