Like many people I work with, running has been a sanctuary for me, a way to process, a way to quite my mind, and for someone who craves movement in their life a way to direct energy. So of course, running twelve miles ‘sounded’ awesome while I was in the depths of these swirling emotions. Yet, while running and exercise can be a sanctuary, it is still a stress - a load on our bodies and minds. When we’re experiencing a high load of stress in the case of trauma or loss, it’s important to be mindful of that load and adjust accordingly as it’s easier to overtrain and increase the risk of injury due to fatigue and muscle tension.

What’s a story you tell yourself over and over that’s just not true?

The first one I can think of is that “I’m not an athlete.” Then I look through my life and see, football, baseball, wrestling, rock-climbing, mountaineering, alpine skiing, telemark skiing, ski-touring, track, marathon, ultramarathons, road races, oh, and almost forgot the years of Karate and Judo.

Having a ‘Why’ constructed through values is one way that I orient myself on a journey. They, being values, provide a bearing to the direction you want to go. Goals on the other hand are the values in action. They are the waypoints to the journey.