Hey you, with the negative self-talk - it's enough.
First of all, it's not getting you anywhere, and second of all, it's not true. If you are reading this then I can guarantee that you are telling yourself one of these lies. And girl, it's gotta stop. The good news however is that if you can tell yourself lies, you can also tell yourself these positive mantras.
Lie 1 - “I’m not a real runner”
Okay girlfriend. If. You. Run. You. Are. A. Runner. End of sentence. Put a period. That’s it. There is no rulebook with a definition of a real runner. If you put on the shoes and get out the door, or on the treadmill, you are a runner. This is a lie that the old school running world wanted you to believe just so that they could pump up their pompous selves even more. But there is nothing behind it. So stop it and repeat after me, “I am a (badass) runner”.
Flip: "I am a runner"
Lie 2 - “I’m not fast enough”
Fast enough for what? To outrun a cheetah? Because same. Just like there is no written definition of a runner, there is no written rule about a pace that makes you worthy. The vast majority of us run nowhere near the pace of the elites. And even if we did, what does it matter? You put the shoes on, you do the running, you win. Pace does not gift you the benefits of running, running in and of itself does that. So be like Elsa and let it go.
Flip: "My pace does not define me"
Lie 3 - “If I walk I’m not a runner”
This one hits home. Believing that it was okay to walk on a run took me approximately 14 years to come to terms with. I really thought if I walked two minutes of a one hour run that it somehow negated all my other hard running work. Like what? That makes absolutely zero sense. But it’s what I used to think. I am so grateful that the running world is turning this lie on it’s head. Run/walk is a perfectly acceptable and totally normal form of running. In fact, it has many benefits and is becoming more and more popular and recommended.
Flip: "Walking makes me a better runner"
Lie 4 - “I don’t look like a runner”
Deep breath. I will not get into body image here because it is real and I am not trained to talk about it. But I just want to say: if you run, you are a runner, and therefore you look like a runner. End scene.
Flip: "My body is strong, beautiful and badass"
Lie 5 - “I don’t need rest days”
I mean go you. But also, No. You might be able to run multiple days in a row without taking a rest, but that doesn’t mean that you are winning the running game. It actually means that you are hurting your chance at your goals because you are not allowing your body to recover and therefore not performing at your best. Rest days allow you to attack each run to the best of your ability, and that is what actually moves the needle.
Flip: "Rest days make me stronger"
Not yet convinced? Then I first challenge you to ask yourself what the lie is doing for you (hint: nothing). And then I challenge you to give the positive flip a chance and see what happens. You might just start loving yourself a bit more.
XO
Your Favorite Mess Coordinator (And badass runner),
Teddi
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