Quitting is a Reward

Having to do my runs solo this week, I have had to find motivation within myself. It has not been an easy running week. I see other runners appear to be running like they're floating on air as their legs effortlessly carry them along the miles. Meanwhile, I'm struggling to get in a good flow of motion, my feet hurt, my breathing is loud, and my mind tells me to just stop. I have heard from other runners that they struggle as well, but I don't believe them, like I'm the only challenged one. [Rolls eyes] A friend sent a reel this week about quitting. It claimed that when you quit something hard, dopamine is released into your brain and makes that "reward" something to be repeated so that quitting becomes a habit. We don't like hard things. Our body is prone to take the easy way out. 

I went out for a run on Tuesday, before I received this particular reel, I struggled in the first mile but then seemed to settle in. It didn't feel easy, but my overall pace was actually good for when I go out on my own. Thursday's first mile started out very uncomfortable. I was sent this reel on Wednesday, and it played on repeat in my head. "Do not quit, do not quit!" I pushed myself to run the first one and a half miles without walk breaks, before meeting my friend "J" to walk who is still recovering from surgery. I did it! I was satisfied with my pace. "J" and I took our walk, and it was time for me to run back home. I allowed myself to do intervals. In a sense, I quit. I gave in to the easy way out. I did the same thing on Friday and Saturday. I go back and forth between giving myself permission to take it easy but then feeling frustrated because I'm not making progress. If we want to get better at something, we need to push ourselves when it gets hard. That's a fact. 

"J" and I have talked about mental toughness and the idea of whether it is something that can be learned or something that you are born with. Why is it that some people seem to be natural fighters while others seem to retreat the minute life gets uncomfortable? How do you train yourself to keep fighting when things get hard? I think the key, in running and most of life's circumstances, is consistency and the ability to persevere even when things aren't feeling great. Only by pushing your limits a little more each time will you see growth. Only through growth will you be able to achieve higher goals. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." In order to be "mature," "complete," and "lack nothing," we need to have trials and testing. That's what strengthens us as long as we do not quit. We need to "let endurance have its full effect."

What challenges are you currently facing that make you want to quit? Personally, I can sit and write about this all day, but will I put it into practice? Will I mentally prepare to stick with the run even when it's not feeling good? Again, I can sit here and tell you that I will, but my next run will be the test. I guess stay tuned [wink, wink].