I run early in the morning for one reason: There are very few (if any) cars. I like to allow my mind to wander. And when your mind wanders, sometimes you don’t see the guy who’s texting behind the wheel. Four in the morning is safer than eight at night.
My mind REALLY wandered this morning. It was focused on some problems for most of my run. In fact, I was so not “there” that I ran up a couple of steep hills and didn’t even remember running up them.
Which brings me to my point: Hills are mental.
Let me repeat that: Hills are mental.
Sure, my heart rate and breathing went up. But my body could handle the physical demands of going up the numerous hills in my neighborhood. Once I took my brain out of the equation, I hardly even noticed the hills were even there. .
Like my neighborhood, life has lots of hills. You are physically able to handle them. But are you mentally? Will you dread going up them or will you attack them with vigor? Will you look up and see and unattainable climb? Or will you break the climb into little pieces and shine all the way to the top? Will you complain about having them in your path or will you realize they will make you stronger? Hills make or break us. They define us.
Train your mind as your run up the hills on your running course and in your life. And soon you’ll be making molehills out of mountains.
I ran 5.6 miles this morning. It was a humid morning but I made it OK. Thankful for another blessed morning to run.
We do tend to make mountains out of molehills without much effort. To get past them is so important.