John Schultz

Running never gets easier. It is always hard. A lot of people liked the video of the elite East African runners limping around the day after the Paris Marathon. A relatable experience 😂 It got me thinking… Running brings adversity no matter what level you reach. Some newer runners might see faster runners zooming by and think it is “easy” for them It becomes easier to run faster, yes. But the 1000m x 6 intervals are just as painful at 3:00/km as at 5:00/km Running hurts for everyone. It’s not just about the workouts either I know a runner who was trying for a sub 2:50 marathon. Had a terrible blowup and limped in around 3:50. That is an awful experience. Another friend is a low 16min 5k runner. He had a bad calf injury and lost his fitness. Has needed to work back into shape the past few months just to get below 20min. Still a ways to go. I had plantar fasciitis so debilitating I could barely walk for several months. A year after I ran the Boston Marathon in under 3 hours in April 2019 I was gassed to jog 7km in April 2020. These anecdotes are to illustrate that no one “makes it” in running. It’s never linear. You work your ass off to improve. Then shit happens and you have to work your ass off again just to get back to where you were before. The adversity is what we sign up for. All the injuries and setbacks and DNFs. They make the PBs and great races and runs that much sweeter. Running will sometimes be roses and sometimes dog poo. This will be the case as long as you run. Just keep running and pushing forward no matter where you are. The longer you go, you’ll learn to appreciate the good with the bad. Enjoy your running 😁