Tough is good, honest is better

Written by Brett Farrell

Let’s get this out of the way: toughness is fine. Grit is fine. Hell, we all need a little toughness just to survive Monday mornings. But in the little ecosystem of the running world, toughness has been inflated into some god-like virtue that we’re all supposed to worship. 

And it hasn’t left any room for honesty.

I still remember an ultra runner telling me, “Ultra runners don’t sleep in and miss their runs,” while making a point about the die hard philosophy of what it means to be a runner.

This comment didn’t motivate me; it made me wonder if maybe I didn’t belong. Like if you’re not crushing it everyday, you’re just a poser. Meanwhile, I have run ultramarathons, and yeah, I’ve absolutely slept in and missed runs.

Look, toughness has its place, but obsess over it too much, and it starts to rot. It morphs into this toxic little voice that beats you down day after day. A voice that says: Push harder. Sleep less. Always be training for something. Never miss a run.

For a lot of runners, this culture of toughness bulldozes over the stuff that actually keeps us running long-term. Like, oh I don’t know—joy? Balance? 

Hey runner!  Yes, you. 

You’re already tough. You wouldn’t be running at all if you weren’t. You have the dedication to make it through long runs, the motivation to get out there even on the days you might not want to, the mental fortitude to make it through the mid-race lows. 

You’ve got toughness.

What most of us suck at is honesty. Being real about when we’re struggling, injured, too tired, or just not feeling it. Imagine how different running would feel if you could say, “I’m kinda burned out right now,” without thinking everyone at your local group run would judge you. Hell, I bet a whole lot of them would even relate to you.

That kind of honesty doesn’t make you soft. It takes some of your self-imposed pressure off and it makes you a smarter runner—and a way more grounded human. 

Because running isn’t just about Strava stats or how efficiently your body can churn out miles. It’s about what you learn out there. The little breakthroughs. The way you feel after a run.

It's about the long journey. And it will take a lot of honesty with ourselves along the way. 

If we get it right, we’ll still be running—and loving it when we are 80—long after the current hype machine burns out. 

And isn’t that the real goal?

 

 

Run Outside the Noise

I have created a 3 week Running Mindset challenge that will help you to reengage with running as a beautiful, soulful, mindful practice in your life. If you are like many of us, you have lost some of that balance and running should be your ticket to feeling good.

You will receive a series of emails that gets you thinking differently about the way you run. 

Brett F.

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