First, this post may not be liked by all of my readers and I’m okay with that.  Over the last year, I’ve really learned who is in my corner.  These are my thoughts, openly and honestly.

Now, let me “step up” to my Soap Box.  I seem to have a lot of these moments lately.  One of the best ways to overcome mental hurdles is to journal, so my blog is a perfect place for that.

Just about every weekend, my social media channels populate with pictures of “the best long run ever” followed by pictures of Garmin/Strava running activities.  A lot of your friends might be able recite their personal best race times.  I’m guilty of that too in the past, but I’ve really had a mindset shift over the last year.  Yes, I’m sure you are proud of your data and you should be.  Movement matters and achieving new goals is great.  But when was the last time your social media channels were filled with strength training posts from these same runners?  When was the last time you saw your friends bragging about new personal bests in the gym?  Can you recite your personal best plank holds and pull-up reps like you can for your race times?  When was the last time you saw someone battling through rehab and sharing their journey? Go ahead and check – I’ll wait here.

I listened to a webinar recently from 80/20 Endurance who had the incredible Siri Lindley on it.  I was immediately and profoundly moved by her story, but more importantly her message: “You are the conductor of your symphony of life.  Turn it into a masterpiece.”  Guess what?  A symphony is not just about running.  A symphony includes jobs, careers, adversity, relationships, and health.  To have a masterpiece of life, you have to focus on all of the details simultaneously.  To have a masterpiece of running, you have to get in the gym, lift the heavy weights, and challenge yourself.  You have to get in bed early and sleep for recovery.  You have to eat breakfast and not skip the most important meal of the day.  “What are you focusing on? Weakness or empowerment?  You have the power to choose.”  It’s time to choose what matters.

After an incredible weekend catching social media recaps of the Houston Marathon and Half Marathon which was another cancelled race for me personally, I couldn’t help but notice a few themes of people who picked themselves up from the bottom and soared to the top.  Keira D’Amato coming back from injury, missing the track and field Olympic trials last summer, and clinching the American Record for the women’s marathon.  Sara Hall getting the American Record for the women’s half marathon after years of hard work.  And Roberta Groner, battling the pandemic as a nurse and coming away with her olympic qualifying standard.

But let’s not forget about some other incredible women athletes. These include the names such as Emily Sisson, who is coming back stronger than ever from an injury.  I was inspired by her when I saw her in person in Houston back in 2019.  She recently shared her rehab journey on Instagram.  And Emma Coburn who is just a beast of a steeplechaser, despite a rocky result at the Tokyo Olympics.  And if you’re watching the Boston Marathon this spring, keep your eyes on Nell Rojas who is sneaking up on the marathon scene and about to have one heck of a breakout.  What a beast in the gym!  Follow these elites and you will see another side to them, aside from running.  They are putting the work in the gym.  They are getting after it and stepping up to the barbell.  They are working on their weaknesses to bring empowerment to their performances.

To “build a better foundation for the sport you love,” you have to stop making your endurance the priority and start making your gym goals the priority. I hear you if you don’t know where to begin or struggling to know what to do. I was that person before. You might consider watching this webinar on strength training for runners. And afterwards, realize it’s up to you to “change your mindset to change your life.” You absolutely CAN. You CAN learn something new at any age. You CAN step outside your comfort zone. You CAN challenge yourself and everyone who comes in your way on the path to greatness, including yourself. Change begins inside of you, so what are you waiting for?