Are you type A, always striving to be better and super duper hard on yourself?
If you said yes... well, it sounds like you're just another runner lol. Don't worry, I'm not judging you! I'm a runner too!
Because we tend to be hyper critical of our performance and our bodies, and because we think we are super humans who can tackle everything on our to-do list with less sleep than mere mortals...
Sometimes the ego stands in your way from making the decision that is best for you.
Think about it. If you push the pace on an easy run because it helps you feel good about yourself- you're actually contributing to burn out, injury & probably hurting your chances of REALLY pushing it on your scheduled hard workout day.
The ego wants the quick win. It's always trying to prove a point.
But what if you JUST BELIEVED in your worth? It would be so much easier to stick with that science-backed, awesome plan your coach made for you then, wouldn't it?
Your training plan is structured so you can have easy days, hard days and rest days. The logical part of your brain knows that straying from the plan may contribute to injury and burn out...
So is it worth it to be on this never ending quest to prove that you're GOOD ENOUGH to your ego?
Let's start gathering some the facts that you are an athlete:
you have a training plan
you have set time aside in your schedule to train
you are consistent with your training (even if it doesn't go perfectly)
you are in this community
you are challenging yourself
you are working on your growth and mental grit
even if you have a bad day you are still going out there and doing the workout
even if you miss a workout, you get out there and get the next one done
What's more productive than giving into the ego?
Working on self-talk. The ego is standing in the way of your full potential. It's time to acknowledge that part of being an athlete is working on self-belief, self-development and mental grit.
Why in the world is a dietitian talking about ego?
Because I've found that restriction, food rules and over-exercising (which are alllll areas where my clients struggle) are affected by ego. Learning sports nutrition is about MORE than just understanding the guidelines of fueling, it's about believing you are worthy of EATING ENOUGH and RESTING ENOUGH so that the training and the fuel can actually WORK to make you BETTER.
Do you see what I mean??
I'd love to hear more about your thoughts about the runner's ego. I know I struggle with this even despite all my awareness!! It's just SO FUN to run fast and SO HARD to run slow. But I'm working on it ;) Head over to our free facebook group and let me know your thoughts!
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