This photo is of me, sweating profusely after finishing 9 miles of running in my local “9 Mile Gut Check.” If you would have told me a year ago that I would run 9 miles straight and even kind of enjoy it, I would have thought you had the wrong girl.

I have found that this seems to be the way most big goals work. If you’re doing something challenging, it was probably way outside of anything you thought was possible at one point.

When I started training for the 9 mile race on May 29, I could barely run a mile. I wondered who I was kidding, thinking I could run 9 miles. I kept training.

As the training intensified and I began running 3 miles or so, I again wondered who I was kidding. I had run a few 5k races, but that was the farthest I had run in my adult life. After finishing a 5k, it felt like there was no way I could possibly run any further. I kept training.

Then I hit the 5 mile mark. This was probably the longest run I had ever done in my life. By the time I was in the 5-6 mile range, I began to realize something kind of magical. I decided it might be possible. I might actually be able to run 9 miles. I began feeling (strangely) kind of good during my runs. I dare say I even enjoyed it a little.

The miles kept creeping up. The weekend I did an 8 mile run, I felt phenomenal. My time was great, I felt good, and I knew I could conquer the 9 mile run.

Then I ran 9 miles the week before the race and tragedy struck. My right hip began hurting at about mile 5. It was a dull pain, so I didn’t think anything had popped or was broken, but it got slightly worse as I got up to mile 9. I finished the 9 miles, but once I quit running I could hardly stand up. I wasn’t sure I could walk the few blocks back to my house. I hobbled home, soaked in an epsom salt bath, and fearfully googled my symptoms.

Hip bursitis.

What I was reading gave mixed messages. My biggest concern was if I’d be able to run the 9 miles again the next Saturday at the race. With the pain I was feeling, it didn’t seem possible.

Thankfully internet information saved me. I took ibuprofen daily, did a rehabilitation stretching and exercise program three times a day (this one), and went easy on my runs during that week, even walking the short distance on Tuesday instead of running.

Race day came and I ran the entire race with little to no pain. I finished 13th and beat my desired time by a long shot.

Now I’m training for a half marathon. I never thought I’d type those words but I’m so excited about it.

The point of all of this is this:

As you work toward a goal, you get better, and it becomes less impossible.

We often see people at the completion of their goal. We see professional athletes hitting home runs, public speakers giving amazing presentations, researchers presenting on their new theories, and artists producing unbelievable masterpieces. What we don’t often realize is that these people were beginners at some point. Without all the practice and slow progress that got them to where they are, they wouldn’t be able to do the things they do.

Each week of running was simply building upon the training I had done the week before. There is no magical formula besides consistency.

I think I learned a lot more from all this running than just about how to run (let’s be honest, I’m still not a very good runner!). Mainly, I learned that with enough perseverance, you can go pretty far. 

What is a big goal you’ve achieved? Did you have to make slow progress toward it?

Also, would you like to see more about my training? It’s been a big part of my life these last few months, so I’d be happy to share what gear I use, what training plan I followed, or whatever else you’d like to know! Let me know if you have any questions about it!

Have you ever encountered a habit that you’d like to make (or break) that seems to go against your nature? Maybe that means waking up early when you consider yourself a night owl or sticking to a budget when you consider yourself spontaneous.

For me, as long as I continue believing that I am not the type of person who does this or that, I won’t. Gretchen Rubin put this idea into words in her book Better than Before when she talked about the “Strategy of Identity” for behavior change.

Basically, one way to change a habit is to re-imagine yourself as the type of person who does that habit.

I used to run, but would proudly say “I hate running” when anyone asked. After signing up for and training for my 9 mile run (it’s two weeks away!), I have begun to see things differently. It’s not just running that I view differently, it is how I view myself. I find me referring to myself as a runner. I began to actually think of myself as a person who runs. This is helpful in getting out of bed and logging those long miles on Saturdays. It’s no longer a question of whether or not I can muster the willpower to put one foot in front of the other. I am a runner, and runners run.

I’ve been trying to use this approach to punctuality, and it seems to be working. I consider myself a fairly responsible grownup (most days) but have always had a problem being on time. I’ve started telling myself that responsible people arrive early to things, and since I am a responsible person (or so I tell myself), I must arrive early.

The use of this strategy seems limitless, as you can shift your identity focus for anything. I’m a big believer in the idea that changing your thoughts can change your world. For me, using this to my advantage means thinking about my identity and how it relates to what I do each day.

It also begs the question, “Who do I want to be?” Reminding myself of this question can really influence my thoughts. I want to be patient and kind and hardworking and growth-oriented. To start thinking of myself as striving for certain qualities leads me to naturally improve my habits.

What habit could improve in your life if you changed the way you viewed yourself?