The Rider’s Mind Podcast Episode 98:10 Horse & Life Lessons from Running 5km
I’ve been doing a thing lately… training to run 5 kilometers. I’ve had a lot of thoughts while running and I’m excited to share some of the lessons I’ve learned with you in this episode!
On the day I recorded this episode, it was my first day of running the full 5 kilometers!
I’ve been getting intuitive nudges that I should run for several years. It wasn’t easy for me to do because I would be sore afterwards. Last year, I decided to start running wherever I went. I’d run to do chores or to move the goats. This year I joined the Ride Strong with Pam challenge group. It’s a very supportive, pay-to-play challenge group run by Pam Hebner. One of the challenges is to exercise for 30 minutes per day.
I started doing a lot of hiking in a nearby wildlife refuge area. While I was hiking, I kept getting the nudge that it would be fun to run through the forest. So, I said it out loud and told the challenge group that someday, I’d like to be able to run through this forest and not just hike through it.
Pam suggested I use the 5K runner app. I had downloaded it last year, but I started and followed the plan over the last couple of months. I started running just 1.5 minute intervals up to my 32 minutes straight that took me to 5 kilometers/3.1 miles today.
While running, I have a lot of thoughts. I’ve gathered my thoughts to share these 10 lessons with you:
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- Start small, but get started. You can’t fail. You’d only fail if you didn’t start.
- Interval training for the win. It worked for me and it can work for your horses too!
- When you’re blazing your own trail, sometimes you’re going to have to whack some bush. And sometimes it’s not the time to blaze a trail, it’s time to follow a well-traveled path. Surrender to the process.
- Breath fuels the fire. When I learned to focus on my breath, I was able to stay present and also stay energized to keep running.
- Let love lead. Put your shoulders back, chest and heart out. Remember your why.
- You’ll never know how far you can go if you don’t try to go further than you’ve already gone. It’s easy to get comfortable and never push beyond that.
- Sometimes pain doesn’t get worse. One day, I had some pain, but it didn’t worsen because I took a deep breath and continued rather than fretting about it getting worse. It’s our fear of it getting worse that stops us, not the pain.
- You’re actually doing something when it feels like nothing. Doing a little adds up to a lot if you keep building on your little things. Doing a little is a lot more than doing nothing.
- There will always be “bears”. I knew there was a possibility of wildlife on my trail and I also saw bear tracks, which scared me. There are always scary things that might get you off your track. Consider risk and reward. Manage your risks.
- Set yourself (and your horse) up for success. Consider the ground and the weather.
What’s next? I’m not sure. I’m just going to celebrate this milestone a bit longer before I move on.
I gained many lessons from this experience. I think the biggest lesson is that my body can always go further and dig deeper than my mind thinks.
Breathe deep, stay present and ride the stride.
Join the Conversation
I’d love to hear the lessons you’ve received from moving your body. Join the discussion in the The Rider’s Mind Community on Facebook. As a member of this community, you’ll also get tips and videos from me.
Want to connect or ask me a question? Find me on Instagram or Facebook.
I’m now on Clubhouse too! Find me @michelleadavey
Learn with Me
If you’re looking to make changes to your mindset, be sure to sign up for my free Next-Level Mindset Mini Course.
You can also join Stride, my next-level barrel racing group. This group receives video training and coaching from me and Stride members have access to special guests. We work on becoming mindful barrel racers so we can show up, be present and perform with great partnership.
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