Be Kind to Yourself

Last Tuesday night, I met the group of women I’ve been coaching in a “Learn to Run” clinic for the last time.

Ten weeks ago, they sat on benches before me, faces flushed with disbelief and fear when I told them that the goal of our clinic was to run 5km.

Last Tuesday, I shouted and cheered for them, so very, very proud, as they crossed that barrier. They did it.

As in any journey, there were hard days. About halfway through was the toughest time. A few of the women had gone on vacation, the weather seemed to be constantly set to “cold drizzle” and 5k seemed very far away. There were hard runs, but I tried to stay positive for them. Be proud of yourself, give yourself the credit you deserve for doing this, I’d tell them. Be kind to yourself, don’t beat yourself up about the one run that didn’t happen, congratulate yourself for the three or four that did happen.

As we stretched afterwards, their faces sweaty and flushed and happy they exclaimed, Who would have thought?! Who knew we could do it? And I smiled and said, Me. I knew all along. And I did, I believed it from the beginning.

Coaching this clinic has been all I had hoped it would be. The discovery of strength is an experience so powerful that it transcends all aspects of your life. I know, because I’ve been there. To believe in yourself? Is unlike any other feeling in the world. When you push past your (physical, mental, emotional) limits, doors that you never knew existed are opened to you. Because of you.

It didn’t matter what I knew ten weeks ago; it matters that they know it now.

Each of us, we are strong and wonderful and beautiful. It’s looking in the mirror and believing it that can be the hardest part.