Episode #29: The Me-Ran Miles Story

The Blue Water Running Podcast

When the cross country season ends, many athletes feel excitement, pride, satisfaction, confidence, or a sense of accomplishment. For many others, though, the reality is not so positive: they might feel disappointment, inadequacy, relief that they are done racing, or sadly even a sense of failure. Perhaps their season didn’t live up to their expectations: they couldn’t run due to an injury or illness, they didn’t get faster, they didn’t run what they had previously in their career, they didn’t get that PR, they didn’t get all-league, region, all-state, etc. Whatever they were chasing didn’t happen. I can speak from personal experience that the end of the season is NOT always a celebration for many athletes; in fact, many leave with unmet expectations, unrealized goals and dreams, and might even feel full of regret. It seems to be an unspoken rule that you should get faster and always see continual and linear progression, but that is not always realistic.
I started Blue Water Running to focus on the incredible athletes we have in our area. Fast times, improvements, and accomplishments make great stories, articles, and podcasts, and those elements are exciting and noteworthy. It’s admirable and understandable to strive toward goals, but let’s take a moment here to recognize that all of those achievements I mentioned aren’t necessarily requirements for a successful and fulfilling running career. You don’t have to have your life and identity defined and dictated by your successes and failures, especially in running. Believe me: I’ve lived that frustration, hopelessness, and discouragement.
The Blue Water Running podcast has allowed me to feature many different versions of athletes’ success stories, but on this episode, I’m sharing my story in the hope that if there’s someone stuck in a rut, an injury cycle, a performance plateau, a season of discouragement; whatever it is, it will help them hold on for a breakthrough. This episode is all about encouraging you to keep going. Keep working, keep dreaming, keep hoping, and most of all, believe that you aren’t done yet. There’s a whole new beginning just waiting.
You never know what you could become, so get out there and chase those dreams.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 says,
"I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time…Time and chance happen to them all.”
Give yourself time, and give yourself a chance.
I’m always rooting for you.

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