The First Mile Is A Liar.
As a runner, I rarely run a first mile that feels good. I’m certainly not running the streets at dawn in my personal Nike commercial, a soft focus specimen of athletic bliss.
Quite the opposite.
I’m a human stick insect, chopped off at the knees, wondering how my fitness was stolen by elves while I was sleeping.
At first, I was perplexed by it. How could I feel so rubbish, so often, during that first mile? When I run 3 times a week?
I would check my watch for when those feelings of doom subsided, the point where my breathing was at ease, my mind in sync with the thud of contented feet.
That feeling would kick in around 10 minutes, or just over a steady mile.
Physiologically, it was obvious. I was simply warming up.
But that didn’t stop my mind from telling me that all the running I had done up to this point was for diddly squat.
I almost believed it.
The body and mind is an intelligent entity. But when it chooses to, it often can’t tell the difference between a thought and reality.
***
When you start anything, the first mile can be a cheeky liar. A convincing one too.
What it promises you is a great idea when you start out, may end up being not such a great idea in the long run. Like drinking too much at a work event.
What it promises will be bad and horrible and you should avoid it at all costs, may end up being the best thing you ever did. Like having a much needed tough conversation with someone on your team.
When we embark on anything new, exciting or challenging, our minds and bodies have a tendency to conspire in the moment to keep us out of harm’s way - stop running right now, you’re going to die in a pool of your own sweat! Or it’ll pimp its cheeky talents with temptation because it all feels so damn good - keep drinking son, until you totally pass out, you’re having too much fun!
Both don’t serve us well.
***
Whenever I start anything new, exciting, or do something that pushes me out of my comfort zone, I listen to that first mile and acknowledge it, but I run it knowing that my mind and body may be telling me things that aren’t really true.
I’ve come to use it as a powerful way to stop myself from quitting too soon, or pause the urge to make a head first leap into all kinds of ugly in disguise.
Keep an eye on those first miles peeps.