This guest post was written by Bud, author of A Boundless World.
Do you remember that time when you came up short? Do you remember that time when you failed miserably? Assuming you have a pulse, it’s safe to say you do.
Falling short and making mistakes are part of being human. They are the challenges that make our lifelong journeys so extraordinary. While coming up short isn’t always easy to deal with at the time, looking back at our failures can teach us an amazing amount about ourselves.
When I ran cross-country in high school, I fell short numerous times. But it was my shortcomings that fueled the fire inside me, forcing me to train even harder… and eventually, I reached my goal.
Freshman Year
During my freshman year in high school my parents and I decided that it was in my best interest to partake in a sport. Not being the most coordinated kid in the world left me with very few options to pursue. It turns out cross-country running was the perfect sport for me.
Joining my schools cross-country team was perhaps one of the greatest decisions I have ever made. The sport took a kid who was lazy and unmotivated, and transformed him into a student of excellence. While I still had my moments of laziness, my outlook on life drastically improved.
One of the reasons cross-country was so beneficial for me was that our team was consistently one of the best teams in the nation. So I was always surrounded by people who wanted to be extraordinary.
At first, I actually didn’t want to be extraordinary. I figured it was too difficult. I simply put in enough work to be “average” and nothing more. But as I began to see my teammates succeed, I thought, “Hey why not me?” The attitudes of my teammates quickly rubbed off on me and made me strive for more.
One of my goals for freshman year was to run a mile in under 5 minutes – a respectable time for a high school runner.
Having a clear goal in mind, I got motivated and began putting in the necessary work. And I was getting closer and closer. But then, out of nowhere, I became ill.
An Unexpected Setback
Cross country running is not the easiest of sports. This is especially true when you’re running with one of the top running programs in the nation. Our weekly mileage training requirements often exceeded 50 miles. Running demands an extreme amount of time and energy in order to succeed. And my body began to reject the training.
One day during practice my legs became unusually sore. But I initially assumed the soreness was just part of the sport, so I continued to run for a few days more. Then during a light jog one afternoon I became light headed and fell to the ground. My legs completely gave out. And I realized then that something was seriously wrong with me.
It turns out that my immune system was taxed to the point where it literally began eating the muscles in my legs. For an entire week I could barely move my legs on my own. Over the next several months I was in and out of hospitals taking test after test, trying to figure out what was wrong. Although I was prescribed various medications, I never learned exactly what it was.
And it took nearly six months before I began running again.
5:01
Coming back from such a large setback was extremely difficult to say the least. Not only was I behind physically, but my mental game was off as well. I was scared of pain. I didn’t want to push myself because I feared that I might grow ill again.
These negative thoughts impacted my ability to perform at the level I knew I was capable of. So even though I started training again, I continued to fall short of my five minute mile goal. But through the guidance and support I received from my family and friends, I was able to forge ahead.
So I continued to dedicate myself to my goal. When my sophomore track season began, I couldn’t have been more excited. I was certain I was going to break five minutes on the opening race.
But as it turns out, I didn’t. Instead of breaking five, I ended up running a 5:01 in one of the greatest races of my cross-country career. And although I didn’t conquer my goal, I still remember the feeling of joy that shot through my body – not because of the time, but because I knew without question that I gave it my all.
Overcoming Obstacles
Our lives are naturally filled with obstacles. It’s impossible to avoid them. If you try, they will ultimately stop you from living.
Your failures and shortcomings are a healthy part of your life’s story. So embrace them. Experience failure, learn from it, and breathe. At the end of the day you have the final say on how you experience reality.
Remember, the long road of falling short eventually leads to victory. Because winning is simply the act of never quitting.
Oh… And during the later part of my sophomore year, I finally ran a 4:54 mile.
Bud Hennekes is dedicated to changing the way people think about themselves. His blog www.aboundlessworld.com empowers people to create and live in a blissful reality. His hobbies vary, but more often than not he enjoys meditating, reading, connecting with people, and writing.
Photo by: Stuck in Customs
PAPA says
Nicely done, Bud. I was a soccer stud; actually, not sure the “stud” part, but we ran A LOT.
In fact, probably the only guys running more than us were the cross country guys 😉
Henri @ Wake Up Cloud says
Awesome post once again, Bud! Just coming back from an obstacle like that is an achievement in and of itself.
How did you heal yourself/your legs? Was it just a lot of rest?
Brett - DareToExpress.com says
Well done, Bud. I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t run for 6 months. I’d probably go insane if I couldn’t train. Your persistence is admirable, my friend.
jon | adventures of the fearless says
Inspiring post. We can all honestly say we have made mistakes and fallen short in areas of our lives, but without it there wouldn’t be much of a challenge to life.
John Rocheleau - Zen-Moments says
Ahhh, as an ex runner I can relate. In my running or various other training regimens I have taken on, one lesson stands out as the most valuable. That lesson is the incredible value of learning self-discipline.
Moving through hardship and setback is precisely how we arrive at the joy of becoming adept or successful.
Becoming disciplined is to achieve a critical mass of sorts. It propels us toward our goals, while rewarding us every step of the way.
John
Amit Sodha - The Power Of Choice says
Fab story Marc and wonderful Lesson to boot! I can totally relate because of the running I’ve done. To go from where I was to where I am today was a huge achievement for me.
Jason @ forty2fifty.com says
A study was done a while back on what made a successful CEO as apposed to one who wasn’t as successful. The study revealed the CEO’s who had the most success made the most decisions. That meant they made a lot of decisions that ended in failure.
The difference is they acted… They got in the game and played. The more decisions one makes the better the odds of coming up successful.
Rohit Prakash says
I like the end:
Our lives are naturally filled with obstacles. It’s impossible to avoid them. If you try, they will ultimately stop you from living.
It happens with me often. Somethings I tried to stop but failed. The incident just happened. But when it had happened and I tried to avoid it further, I ultimately stopped living.
Samantha S says
This is quite inspirational! I am a cross country runner, and as a senior in high school, I’ve suffered from over-use injuries all four years. Not nearly as serious as you, yet I lost weeks of training each year. I always was able to hop right back in, more determined than before, but this year, I was out for almost half of the season, and that really discouraged me. Of course, cross country is over now, but I’ve been scared, as you were to get back into training. I’m worried I will get injured again. I’m in the midst of Nordic skiing, but I haven’t been able to completely dedicate myself due to that fear. Your story has really inspired me to give it another try. With track in the spring, I will have another shot at running. Thank you very much! Congratulations on accomplishing your goal of breaking 5. Only a handful of guys on my team were able to do that this year!