“I never in my life imagined I could run for three hours.”
“All day Saturday and all day Sunday I was on cloud nine because that’s the farthest I’ve ever run.”
These were the voice messages I started my week with, from one of my clients, Nichol.
The way my heart filled with joy getting those messages. Part of it was just being so genuinely happy for her - that she got to bask in the accomplishment of running farther than she ever had, something she never imagined herself doing when she first picked up running.
But there was something more than that, too. As many times as I’ve gotten to feel that sense of pride and accomplishment in my own running - hitting distances I at one point thought were impossible like 6 miles, then 20 miles, then 50K, then 50 miles, then 100K, then 100 miles - I now get to witness that in other runners as their coach.
Whether it’s their first 5 mile run, 15 mile run, marathon, or ultra…I get to support them, encourage them, and make them feel celebrated when they do something they never thought they could do.
I fundamentally believe everyone deserves to experience that. The sense of pride and accomplishment that comes from running farther than you ever have - whether that’s 3 miles or 30 miles. It’s a feeling that changes how you see yourself, that spills into the rest of your life in ways you don’t expect.
And getting to be someone who supports runners through that, who gets to witness the transformation and celebrate them on the other side? I don’t take that for granted.
Nichol now knows she can run for three hours. Six months ago she maybe wouldn’t have believed you if you’d told her that.
What would you say if I told you, you can run for three hours too?
Would you believe me?
