“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”
- Nelson Mandela
Hills. Runners love to hate them. They intimidate us. They challenge us. They make us uncomfortable. They require increased effort. Yet, like most anything in running, the hills we climb are also a metaphor for life. If we never ATTEMPT to run hills, we will never be ABLE to run hills. In life, if we continually take the easy route, we will be unprepared to face the mountains life will inevitably throw at us. Unfortunately, after we top one hill, there will eventually be another. By becoming a hill seeker, we develop a mental fortitude that will serve us both in running and in life.
I live in the mountains of West Virginia. There isn’t a round trip route I can run that isn’t uphill at least one way. (Many days it feels like it’s uphill both ways!) Every day when I get to the bottom of my driveway, I face a choice. Turn left and climb for three miles or turn right and descend for three miles, at the end of which I can call my husband or daughter to come get me.
Recently, I’ve chosen the downhill again and again. Life has been challenging for quite some time, and in my mind, I just wanted something, anything, to be easy. However, this has taken a toll on me both mentally and physically. Life has thrown some major curveballs at me lately that I haven’t had the will or strength to go to bat against. I have retreated, and in doing so, I’ve fallen further from where I need to be mentally and physically. My retreat hasn’t solved my problems. In fact, it has done nothing but add to them. The more I have “run” from those difficulties, the less I have been capable of handling. I’ve become weary. I’ve become weak. I’ve become disappointed in myself.
Luckily, I’ve recognized this decent, so in the last week, I’ve begun to once again turn left at the bottom of my driveway. I’ve chosen to face the climb. It’s been intimidating. It’s been challenging. It’s been uncomfortable. It’s required increased effort. I’ve had to walk sections that I used to be able to run. I’ve been sweatier and more out of breath than either the hills or the temperature should have warranted. But in climbing those hills, I’ve become rejuvenated. I’ve become stronger. I’ve become encouraged in my ability to face difficulty. My fitness has improved, but more importantly, so has my mental fortitude.
There’s nothing wrong with choosing the easy route every now and then. Everyone needs a break at times. Such respites can help you to refocus and refresh. But if you notice that you’re repeatedly choosing the easy route, stop to ask yourself why. Do you need a break or are you avoiding discomfort? Do you need time to refresh or are you afraid to face the challenge? Don’t underestimate the ability of a challenging run to give you the strength you need to tackle challenges in life. As you face those hills, remember ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes’ famous advice, “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up!” Don’t be afraid to become a hill seeker.
