Have you ever felt like you’re just ready to give up?
As a trained athlete since the age of three, I’ve never felt so challenged as I did last week as a human and an entrepreneur.
I’m now five weeks post covid and I’m trying to run a basic endurance run with my favorite Aaptiv (acquired by PEAR Sports) coach guiding me in my ear. Barely 2 miles in at a slow pace I haven’t seen in years…
My heart rate has enough room to explode, but my lungs just can’t keep up. Was I crazy to do an endurance run? What is this pressure in my chest? Is it a panic attack? I can feel the tears welling up, and I’m ready to stop and walk.
My coach then said, “This is tough. We all need mantras.” He recommends the following: “I will not stop. I will not give up. I am not out of energy.”
Since when have I been willing to stop and walk? Since when am I out of energy? Well, it feels like every day since the start of the Covid infection.
No matter what the situation, we don’t give up. Every challenge is an opportunity to listen and learn. We may adjust to take a pause and listen, but we do NOT give up!
Well, I did stop, walk, and think for a hot two minutes. Why am I doing this run? Because I love to help others, and recovering from this COVID-19 illness requires doing hard things! Then, I remembered what it was like when I couldn’t get out of bed.
Out of nowhere, my heart took over, and suddenly, I was not tired. And my head got in the game. I was not going to give up. I may have been slower, but I was driven to finish the run. Somehow, it wasn’t about a number anymore. It was about finishing and building my endurance back up from where I was.
My favorite trainer once said, “I’ll meet you where you are.” And that’s what I did. I gave myself grace and finished that run – feeling better than the previous week. Each run does get better as long as I stay in the race! And somehow, it is more than enough to finish because the best is always yet to come simply! Showing up and doing your best is all that’s required.
Never, never give up!
“If you can’t fly, then run; if you can’t run, then walk; if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” – Dr. Martin Luther King.
Whatever your struggle is today – just keep going! Your best is yet to come!
