Pausing to Reflect on the Changing of Seasons

As athletes, we can easily fall into a rhythm that’s too rigid to acknowledge the changing of the seasons. Consistency is our specialty and we hold onto it with a tight grip. Every season – rain or shine, blazing hot or freezing cold  – finds us outside on the road or trails. We pay no mind to the weather; we just wake up one day and realize that the trees have changed color, and then we press play on the same running playlist we went through yesterday, shuffling past the same songs, gliding past the same mile markers, until life inevitably forces transformation upon us. Consistency is our superpower, but it’s also our Achilles’ heel. 

In this new season, as summer gives way to fall, we've had plenty of time to reflect on how different life looks – and also, how similar it still is. Our passions haven’t changed, but sometimes how we carry them out must be adjusted. That’s not a bad thing. It just means we're human. 

We don’t know what season you find yourself running towards – or perhaps, running from – right now: recovering from an injury, training for a PR, dealing with the physical and mental toll of grief. 

But here’s what we’ve learned in this season: Sometimes, running is for the distance. But most of the time, it’s for the start. Sometimes it just looks like lacing up your shoes and hitting the road or the trails or the treadmill, even if that means you have to turn around earlier than expected. The important thing is you honored yourself with the commitment to try, and the grace to press the brakes when needed. Allowing ourselves this gift of flexibility, even in the midst of our desire to be consistent, is what will allow us to truly get stronger, both on and off the trail.

So as the leaves change, we challenge you to resist the temptation to plow through your training regimen without reflection. We hope you’ll join us in pausing to acknowledge, lament, and celebrate the changing of your own seasons. Here are some questions to get you started. 

• What do you need to celebrate from this last season? What lessons did you learn? 

• What do you need to run away from, and what would you like to run towards? 

• What does transformation mean for you in this season of life? 

If any of this resonates, let us know. We'd love to learn more about the season of life you're currently in and how it impacts the way you train.