episode 13: Sometimes the More Difficult Way is the Better Way

The weather in Taipei in early December was cold and wet, not the best combination for running. Additionally, my achilles tendonitis was acting up, so for those couple of weeks, I was low on motivation.

However, with the 100km date fast approaching, I had set weekly target distances. Despite the weather and fatigue, I hit the road, and I had a series of bad training runs.   

It was a Sunday, crappy weather as usual. I took an afternoon nap, so I was a bit groggy when I woke up around 5pm. I had to run a 12km to hit the weekly mileage. I thought it would be another bad run, but after 10-15 minutes, something clicked. Pain from achilles tendonitis subsided and my strides felt effortless. I was flying down the riverside park with a smile on my face.

Obviously it’s better to feel light and fast, and more enjoyable with great weather, but it’s unrealistic to expect all gravy all the time. In a way, I appreciate the bad days, because otherwise, it would be too damn easy.

It’s comforting to know that when I need to get over a hump, I have the strength to summon extra efforts. These rainy days and occasional tired legs allow me to truly understand and appreciate the good times – the great trail runs on Saturday mornings with friends and new personal records are that much sweeter.

I thought long and hard about quitting my job and go full time with coaching studies. First, it will enable me to complete the training course earlier, and second, I don’t particularly enjoy my current career, so quitting would be a huge relief.

I lingered on the word “relief”, and realized that the underlying reason for quitting was to take the easier route. This journey to find my passion is not meant to be easy. I have decided that studying while working represents the crappy weather. It’s just obstacles that I have to overcome on my way to finding a fulfilling career, and when I get there it will be pure sweetness.

You can also follow my running adventures on https://www.facebook.com/pages/3-dudes-on-ultra-mission/271137916280936 or https://twitter.com/williewenli

It's the above lonely runs after work that make runs like below great.