A Simple Reframe

A reframe is when you frame something differently. Specifically, it’s when you take a new and sometimes seemingly opposite perspective or approach to something and you view the experience in a different and, oftentimes, more positive light.

This week’s blog post is dedicated to the most important reframe we runners can and, arguably, have to make:

It’s not I have to run; it’s I get to run.

It’s the shift from have to get that makes a world of difference in how we view ourselves on the run and how we view the run itself.

We often take the fact that we can run for granted. We get frustrated with ourselves when a run or workout doesn’t go our way. We are heartbroken when a race doesn’t reflect our training. Heck, some of us might even experience anger and disappointment when it comes to stagnation or setbacks in running. All these things, however, come from a place of forgetfulness: from forgetting how hard it is to run and from forgetting that not everyone can engage in this sport the way that we do.

Ask a runner who is not able to run what their first question was when they realized they would be taking a break from running and I guarantee the question was, “When do I get to run again?”

It’s when you can’t run that you remember you get to run.

The truth is there are no guarantees with running. You do your best and hope for the best. You trust the training and believe in the process. Nailing paces, hitting mileage milestones, or grabbing a PR aren’t guarantees though. You just have to keep showing up.

When you reframe I have to I get, it’s no longer an obligation, it’s a privilege. You remember not everyone has the ability to do what you are about to do.

When you reframe I have to I get, you leave expectation at the door and invite in possibility. You leave room for surprises and it becomes more about exploring the unknown edges of your comfort zone.

When you reframe I have to I get, you become curious as to what you can learn about yourself. You create space to discover new versions of your runner self.

Reframing I have to run as I get to run unlocks the joy of running because you remember that you are making the choice to be a runner.

So, the next time you are faced with a run you are less than enthused about or excited to do, repeat “I get to run” to yourself until gratitude overcomes dread. You got this because you get to do this.

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