Use it or lose it.

A personal lesson of development  

On Saturday I was super excited to participate in the ZigZag Running "Lucky Horseshoe" 10k. As an increasingly keen runner during lockdown I have become quite comfortable with half-marathon distances, and so the thought of “a little 10k” was really appealing. 

However, for the past 6 weeks my focus has been on preparing for a swimming challenge, resulting in not one single step of running. Arrogantly I assumed that my running legs would simply see me through this race, after all it was my usual distance and I didn’t have time to train for two challenges.  

 Oh. My. Goodness.  

Truth of the matter is that I did manage to complete the 10k, in only a few minutes short of my usual time, but every single step was a huge effort. My lungs were burning and I was locked in a constant battle with my own mind about how useless I was. What had happened?!

As with all things in life, I was reminded that achieving goals is always possible with enough grit and determination, but it's definitely much easier if you give them the time and attention they need. The skills I have now will only serve me well if I continue to use and develop them. So it’s fine if I choose not to prioritse them, but I can’t expect such an easy ride when the time comes that I need to rely on them.  

So while this race had a definite start and finish line, my personal development is a lifelong journey, not a one time destination.