It's all about effort, not distance

Since training myself to run very long distances, I have inevitably had many conversations about running, with many different people. The one thing that has stuck in my mind is how everyone compares their distances with my own. This always makes me feel a bit strange. First and foremost, I think that it could potentially be me resisting an inflated ego; this is because I struggle to stomach highly egotistical people. I don’t run for ego boosts, and I don’t run long distance to feel like I am better than anyone else. I run because it feels real and free. I will be explaining the ‘real’ feeling of running in a later blog post.

So what is it that makes me feel uncomfortable about those comparisons. We long-distance folk train long and hard to have the ability to do so, but, when people tell me they run 3 miles, and could never run the distances I do, it makes me feel fake.

To me, it has nothing about distance. Distance is irrelevant. It is all about effort and pain. When I first started running, it was an effort to run three miles, a week after that, it was an effort to run five miles, a month after that, it was an effort to run eight miles. I think you get my drift. These days, running twenty miles is not that much of an effort. A new runner, who manages to push out five miles using all their energy, deserves far more accolade than me and my twenty. The effort levels of both people differ so greatly that the short mileage runner ends up putting in far more effort than I, and that is why I feel fake.

If you are running simply for the love of running, you need to stop comparing yourself to others. You must only compare yourself to your yesterday’s self. If your effort drops, pick it up a bit, push yourself for that extra mile and stop thinking that you have no chance of getting to a certain level, be it half marathon or ultra-marathon. If you keep your efforts strong and keep going forward, you have every chance of getting up to your desired level, the only thing you will need is time.

Time is the only difference between us and between myself and the best ultra runners in the world. Genetically, we are no different, some may have ailments holding them back, but at twenty-six years old, the doctor told me that I should stop training completely and that it would be best for my condition. I obviously didn’t listen to him. I had to sacrifice a lot to get where I am by entirely changing my diet and learning how to deal with stress. This was a long process which sometimes still goes wrong, especially if doughnuts are on offer, but I managed to find a way. I am aware that some people don’t have that option, but what I am saying is there may be a route. Do research, ask others in your situation, read forums and medical journals, but first and foremost, don’t give up. Time is all you need — giving yourself as much of it as you can or as you wish to will make all the difference. I give myself a lot of time for running, a lot less time to socialise, play video games, and watch TV. These are some of the sacrifices I have made to reach the goals I want. Over this time, my effort has actually dropped. As I improve my running, it becomes easier, and that is all thanks to time. If I want to push harder, I have to pour more time into it, and so on.

To sum it up – stop comparing yourself by distance, instead, be true to yourself and ask, did I work hard today? Then ask, how far do I want to go and what sacrifices am I willing to make to get there? Finally, give yourself the time to achieve.

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