This past weekend I ran the RunAmuck race in DC. I felt
mentally and physically ready for the race until I rounded the first corner
and found myself at the bottom of a huge hill. Going into the race I knew I would have to climb a 6 foot wall, make my way through a rope maze and crawl through the mud but the one thing I hadn’t prepared for was hills.
My first reaction (besides holy crap) was that I couldn’t finish the race. Instead of stopping and turning around, I took a few deep breaths and walked up the hill. As I did this, I changed my view about the race. Instead of feeling bummed that I wasn’t physically in shape enough to run hills, I decided to continue through the race as best I could. I am proud of the fact that I was still able to accomplish a 3 mile run, climb over the 6 foot wall successfully and crawl my way through 3 foot deep mud and not lose my shoes (quite the feat!).
Although I didn’t feel as though I needed a boost of confidence about what I could accomplish physically, or in life in general, that’s exactly what I got as I finished the race. Pushing past the limits I set for myself is always a challenge but extremely rewarding in the end. I challenge you to find something out of your comfort zone and try it. You just might be surprised what you find in the process.
“How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser. “ – Lou Holtz