Months of training with just weeks to go, you’ve been pushing hard. Through cold winter days, getting up at the crack of dawn, you strive to get that mileage in. Then the moment every runner fears, at first you’re in denial, “I just need to stretch” you think, but stretching doesn’t help. That feeling is more than a sore muscle; you know you’ve injured something and just weeks before the big race. No amount of denial or running through it is going to make any difference, this injury threatens months of preparation. Frustrated, you reach out to your running buddies, many of which have been in this exact place themselves, wondering if its going to heal soon enough for race day.

Disappointment is part of life but it doesn’t need to take you to the point of despair if you start to consider things from a broader perspective. Times of trial can actually be some of the greatest growing opportunities in our lives. Here’s a few things to consider when disappointment comes knocking.

• Refine Your Discipline – A wise person takes into account the information at hand and the advice of those they trust and applies that to actions. A foolish one, on the other hand, knows the right thing to do yet ignores that altogether and does the opposite or and pays dearly for it in the long run. Discipline as we run our race gives us a tactical advantage often overlooked by our competition. Be smart enough, even brave enough to do what you know to be the right thing.
• Others Centered – One reoccurring area I greatly enjoy about the running community is their ability to encourage one another. Coming to a point of realizing you’ll miss a race you’ve been training for gives you a chance to model exceptional sportsmanship. How rare in today’s sporting community to see this characteristic come out yet once you see it, you’ll never forget it. Take a moment of injury and turn it on its head as an opportunity to encourage and support others in your running community. These actions will speak louder than any words from the winner’s podium.
• Press On – The ability to pick up the pieces and continue moving forward is a great attribute of ones character. Moments like these tend to be times you’ll reflect on later in life and use as examples to help others down the road. Life is always about more than a single race; it’s about the ability to press on through trials towards the greater things of life.

Consider this moment in time, you may be overcoming an injury, some type of disappointment or setback so what will you make of this time? Consider turning it into an incredible opportunity to grow and model maturity to others in your sphere of influence. Nothing is by chance and making the most of what could be considered a misfortune might just yield the greatest moment of satisfaction in your life and be a point of inspiration for others.

Run the Race…

Greg Paskal
Lead Adventurer