Let Go of Running Expectations: My Running Diary

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We all have expectations for our latest obsessions. We keep those bad boys in the back of our minds and even use them to decide if we should keep going. But let go of running expectations and watch what happens! This is my running diary.

 
 

Diary of a Running Chick: May 23rd, 2016

Ahhh! It’s wonderful kids! Letting go of expectations is wonderful. We all have them and I always did for running and exercise, but why? Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves when we do things, especially something as simple and fun as running? In the past I made running all about my pace and mileage. Sure, when you’re on a good run and you’re going fast you’ll exceed those expectations. But how can you keep that up all the time? The second you stop being able to maintain that pace, you get disappointed and stop enjoying it. Well that’s no fun! Stop taking the fun out of running.

If you’re like me and don’t enjoy that part of running, then just let it go. Relieve yourself of those expectations. There are some weeks I don’t even read my Mapmyrun stats. Normally it’s because I just forget, but when I do read them I’m always happy with what I’ve accomplished! I’m excited to see the exact number of miles I ran and which runs were my fastest. It’s cool to remember how I was feeling during the different runs. But I don’t need to read it every day and it’s not that important to me. It’s more important that I get out and run!

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Another big expectation to eliminate is the time you expect it will take to achieve a running goal. If you’re new to running, you need to remind yourself that in the beginning you see HUGE differences from day to day. Your stamina jumps pretty quickly in the beginning. The runs feel easier after a few days. If you commit to running and stay committed by running a few times a week, then you will really see improvements early on. But there will be periods where you won’t see any. Those are moments where you need to do something different, whether it’s changing your route, upping your mileage or even taking a few days off.

 

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Dropping expectations is hard. I had to challenge myself to stop caring for an entire week about any of my running stats. I challenged myself to just get out there and run. It was liberating! That week I craved getting up each morning to run and if I went farther it was a bonus. It was so much more rewarding to run, since my only goal was getting out there and running. That’s it. Keep it simple and make it fun because now you like to run!

I do have periods where I want to hold myself to upping my pace and increasing my distance. Yet I’m always in the right mindset for it. A lot of times this is at the beginning, middle and end of the year. I’m aware of the moment and the need to improve. It’s important to set yourself up to accomplish goals throughout the year, but you don’t need to do it all twelve months.

The funny part is, this was one of my running goals. For a long time I wanted to be able to just go out and run regardless of any competitive factors. I knew that going for a run just because I could was my favorite part of running. So if that’s you, why not make it something you can accomplish the most!?

Let go of your running expectations and then let me know how it feels?

 

 

Mandi Mellen is Lead Editor, Staff Writer, and Featured Vlogger at BuzzChomp. She’s an actress, writer, and producer. Get lost in her youtube comedy channel PillowTalk TV. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Instagram