Over the last few weeks, I’ve performed a series of grueling workouts that challenged my fitness level. While these workouts were designed to push me out of my comfort zone, they were also conceived with the idea that I was physically capable of accomplishing their objectives.
The difference between success and failure wasn’t in my legs. It was in my head. By maintaining an outlook that can be described as curious during these workouts, my brain gave my body the space to respond to the training stimulus exactly as my coach and I had planned. In many cases, performances even managed to exceed expectations.
Note that I didn’t say focused or determined. Nor did I mention grit or resilience. All those characteristics apply to running on some level, but none have guided my journey like curiosity. It’s no coincidence that my fitness improved once curiosity replaced those aforementioned traits as the guiding principle of my running practice. I bet yours could too. All it requires is an open mind (and maybe a paid subscription.)