People say that when you’re training for a hard race, you should know your “why,” that intrinsic motivation that will keep you going when it gets hard. For a while I was training for my upcoming race without having a clear “why” other than, I’ve always wanted to do an ultra.
Years ago, I read a book about what makes people shy. It said that shyness is really just a physiological reaction to new situations (pounding heart, dry mouth, sweaty palms, etc,) and that the reason why people outgrow their shyness is that, as we get older, there are fewer and fewer situations that are truly new.
It’s true- if you’re going to a party or starting a new job, you may be a little nervous but there’s a part of you that already knows what it’s going to be like. You’ve been to plenty of parties and had plenty of “first day” scenarios, so even if you’re nervous, you basically know how you’re going to handle it.
If you’re moving to a new house, that might seem like a completely new situation, but actually you’ve probably moved before. You know you’re going to pack boxes, call movers, unload everything in the new place, explore your new town, find the grocery store… and on and on.
When I was pregnant with my son, I opted for a natural, drug-free childbirth, mainly because I had no idea what it was going to feel like. I knew it was going to hurt, but I didn’t want to miss out on the chance to experience something completely different. On one of my recent training runs, I realized that’s why I’m doing this 50K.
I know what running is like, and I know what it’s like to run on a trail. But I’ve never done a trail race, I’ve never run on this trail, and I’ve never run 31 miles. I want to experience something I never have before…
As we get older, how many chance do we have to say “I have NO IDEA what this is going to be like?” It definitely can happen, but usually we have to make it happen (or, unfortunately, it’s something thrust upon us like the death of a loved one or a serious illness.) If we don’t push ourselves to find experiences like that, our lives continue on and on in the same pattern.
I love patterns! I love routine. I love my Wednesday long runs, my weekly Starbucks and Friday night takeouts. If I’m not careful, I’ll sink into a rut and never, ever get out. The times that I push myself to find something different leave me feeling exhilarated, and make life rich with days that don’t all meld together.
Maybe I’ve gone completely bonkers, but that’s why I signed up for a 50K- something completely different.
I’m linking up with Kim and Zenaida for their Tuesday Topics. Thanks, ladies!
When was the last time you experienced something completely different? Did you have to push yourself to do it?
34 Responses
I definitely have to push myself to do different things – I am all inertia and routine! What popped into my mind was how, like a decade ago, the group of women I worked out with invited me to go climb a mountain in the Presidential Range in New Hampshire. I had never really hiked and had no idea what I was getting into, but the idea of doing this big thing that was so outside of my experience and how I saw myself really won me over! (How I slid down Mt. Pierce because I wore running shoes in another story for another time, though, haha!)
Ha! Yes, climbing a mountain would definitely fall into the category of something different! Someday you’ll have to tell the story (yeah, i guess running shoes probably aren’t ideal.)
I love this!
My “completely different” thing right now is local tourism. I was bored and thought that I lived in a boring place, and then last summer I had a small list of local things that sounded kinda interesting to check out and things snowballed from there. The first trip was the hardest because I had doubts “oh come on I have a park with a lake close to home, it feels pointless to drive an hour away to another park with a lake” but once I got there I was hooked. Last weekend it was “oooh there’s a presidential estate that I can tour that’s only 2 hours away???? Let me at it!!!!”
Yes, I was thinking of you and your local trips! I used to do more things like that when I was younger and I loved it. You inspired me to go to the FLW house in Tallahassee this summer and I’m excited about it.
I LOVE this, Jenny.
I think life is all about the balance between trying new things and enjoying the thrill that can come along with that, and identifying those comforting habits that bring so much daily, repetitive pleasure into life. It sounds easy, in some ways, to sort out the right levels of each, but I found this VERY hard when I was first starting out as a Mom.
Now I can tell when I need to take a step back give myself a break from adventures AND when I’m in a bit of a routine rut. It’s all about finding the best mix and obviously, it varies SO much from person to person. When I manage to strike the right balance? BLISS.
Yes, sometimes adventures with kids turn out to be a little TOO adventurous. Kids are unpredictable and it can be exhausting. I agree that you have to find a balance.
I love my 3 week day runs and Sat long runs and Sat brunches. Sunday night wine with a friend. Mon hikes, Tues. Mall walks with my BFF and Friday mah jongg games.
Yes it’s so easy to get into a rut.
That’s one of the reasons I decided to run a full marathon. And I go hiking (even in the winter). Both are different from the norm and so exciting, as a result.
The trail race is enticing… but obviously I am too clumsy to even consider it.
I think you will do great and I bet you will be hooked and sign up for another.
You also do some fun traveling, Darlene (although the last trip wasn’t too fun, obviously.) And you do a lot of cool races. I would say you challenge yourself to do different things.
I am definitely a creature of habit and do not often seek out novel/new experiences, but it is something I should try to do more often – err, maybe in a few years when I don’t feel as challenged as I do in this stage of life! Toddlers are good for novelty because you never know what mood they are going to wake up in or how their mood might shift. Ha. Every day is new in our house. 😉 But I’d like my novel experiences to be a bit more enjoyable eventually!
I have done a couple of trail races – a 10k and a half. I really loved the trail race environment. It is so much more low key than road races! So it’s kind of a nice change of pace. Most people walk the hills and the aid stations are amazing! I hope you have an awesome experience!
Actually I think having kids falls into the category of doing something different- it’s an adventure and you can’t even imagine what it will be like until you do it.
Go you! I’m so proud of you for pushing out past your comfort zone.
It reminded me of the day we adopted our dog. We had never brought a dog home before and we spent days beforehand asking ourselves what our new routines would be and how we would integrate her into our lives and it’s all amusing looking back because she’s just a regular part of our lives now.
Maybe running ultras will just be something you do from now on?!
MAYBE!!!
I can see that about adopting a dog- I’ve always had cats but it’s not out of the question that we would get a dog someday. It would definitely be completely different.
I am totally with you. I am a creature of habit and I just wrote a post about how good I think it is to get out of your comfort zone. https://travelspot06.blogspot.com/2022/12/on-being-uncomfortable.html
I remember running my first ultra and having absolutely no idea what I was doing; it was great. And then you can keep challenging yourself by going further or traveling to races or trying to get faster so it actually provides years of new experiences! My new thing is longer distance cycling and off road cycling and I am having a lot of fun, although I’m definitely more cautious than I would have been 20 years ago! It is still a blast though.
Ooh, I will definitely read that post! Funny that we both wrote about similar subjects. Do you have a recap of your first ultra on the blog? I would love to read it.
YES YES YES to trying new things 😉 That’s a huge reason why I do the winter run streak every year, because it’s a complete-180 from my “normal” routine. Also, that’s why I took on the challenges of running both 6-hour and 12-hour overnight ultras. Turns out, while both were challenging and tough, neither were impossible nor as treacherous as I’d imagined. And, I still have ideals of doing similar events again (I just haven’t found any that appeal to me in regards to location, etc.). I’m excited for this 50K trail race for you, Jenny!
Thank you Kim! You also forgot to mention your yearly RAGBRAI. You definitely do a lot of fun and different things.
I think the last time I challenged myself to do something different was when I traveled to France with my cousin last year. I had never spent more than 6 or 7 hours with her before, and while she is my favorite of my cousins, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. It was a learning experience in many ways. Mostly it was wonderful and great and so fun, and occasionally it was frustrating or disappointing.
Running a 50k sounds like it could be all of those things. I admire your adventurous spirit!
I also went natural childbirth, but not because I wanted to experience it and didn’t know how much it would hurt, but because the needle they use for the epidural looked terrifying to me. I’ll tell you, when I was in the midst of the worst of it, I would have taken that needle in my eye if it would have stopped the pain. Ran out of time, everything turned out great, but wow, that was intense.
Ha, yes I do have to say that in the midst of labor I was thinking “I now understand why people get epidurals!” And yes- it’s definitely an intense experience!
I think you completely nailed why I am loving trails. It is so different from road running and it is challenging in a new way! And I would 100% do the trail race you are doing, anxiety be damned. Because like you said, how many times do we get the chance to say I have no idea what this is going to be like? I wish I could do it with you. So excited for you!
Wendy, I will tell you all about it! You have some pretty challenging trail races coming up as well.
You are right! As we get older it is more rare to experience new things. I felt very similar when I joined my first Ragnar team years back. I had no idea how much I would love it and went on to do a few more. It keeps life exciting!
YES! I’ve never done a Ragnar race- it would definitely be a brand new experience.
“If I’m not careful, I’ll sink into a rut” – this seems to be me, during this whole pandemic. During the pandemic I have created new routines for myself that are so lovely and comforting, and sometimes make it hard for me to step out of. I’m working on it! I’m finding the more I branch out the better my life is, but that first step is hard.
My big thing that I haven’t done in 23 years is that we are moving soon. And not just houses. We are moving to a different province. I haven’t talked about it on my blog and I won’t just yet – there are lots of pieces involved – but it is a huge change for me because I’ve always lived in this city. It’s going to be a good move but there will be some losses, and it’s all new, and kind of scary. But here we are.
I liked reading your “why” and I think it’s great – in order to live life to the fullest, we need to experience new things!
Yes, you’ve alluded to big changes coming up and I was wondering if it involved a move! And I think everyone slipped into a rut during the pandemic- there weren’t a whole lot of new things to do. I’m excited to hear about your big adventure when you do share it on the blog.
My new thing is Crossfit. It gets me out of my comfort zone every single time.
I also like new races. I would love to run a race in another African country this year. Something to think about!
Yes, Crossfit would definitely be uncomfortable! I’m always fascinated when I read Wendy’s recaps of her weekly Crossfit workouts.
Trying something new is one reason I also decided to do a 50k. Mine wasn’t trail but still lots of miles. Another reason was “why not?”. Proud of you! You can do it!!
Thank you Zenaida! The funny thing is I don’t think I could do an ultra on the roads- all that pounding! But yes- a 50K on trails or roads will get you out of your comfort zone.
I’m a creature of habit which means it’s super easy for me to fall into a rut. I know I need to be a little more spontaneous so thanks for the reminder 🙂
I think we all need a reminder sometimes!
Jenny, you are just so cool! I love that you are constantly striving for something completely new and different, to keep pushing yourself to try new things even when it’s scary. I want to be more like this! I find it really hard to do new things because I hate looking like a beginner and like I don’t know what I’m doing. But there are definitely times I have tried something new that will push myself, like starting a podcast or going to a new book club, and it’s been really fun and a way to get me out of a rut. Variety is the spice of life and all that!
Yes, you actually do some pretty brave things, like starting that podcast! I would never be brace enough to do that- so everyone has different things that scare them.
You brought up some good points – it’s true, the older we get, the fewer the truly new experiences, but it’s always worth pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones a bit.
Yes, it’s hard to push ourselves- but it’s always worth it.