We Can Do Hard Things

Last week, the sports world watched the absolutely incredible performance of Rachel Entrekin at Cocodona 250. She destroyed the womens' AND mens' records, winning the event outright. While it would be easy to distance our "regular people" achievements from hers ("she's a professional athlete", etc) what she said in a post-race interview probably applies to more of us than not. Watch it here-- she talks about struggling with imposter syndrome as she was leading the race, but then started asking, "Why not me?" and went on to an amazing performance. She points out that women can be prone to talking themselves out of challenges (especially physical ones) but that we should all be asking ourselves, "Why NOT us?" It was inspiring. 

Particularly as we age, women tend to focus on what they can't do-- what they have decided they are "too old" for, or the "I could never...." and I believe we are leaving so much on the table with these mindsets. Physical challenge helps us know ourselves and what we are capable of, increasing our self-efficacy and even making us more resilient to day to day stress!

What might taking on a bit of challenge look like? Commit to an event distance you've never done! (Spoiler alert: our summer event lineup drops next Wednesday, so you can commit with other people, which research says is helpful and can make these challenges seem less difficult...) Try a hill you've never done! Sign up for a multi-day event!

Looking for inspiration? 50-something Paula Ralph took on cycling from South Africa to Norway when she didn't have much experience on a bike, and Monet Izabeth pulled over 200lbs of gear as she did a self-supported trip skiing to the South Pole-- when she started training, she had almost no skiing experience. (OK, she's still in her 30s, but you don't need to be an expert at the thing to take on a big scary challenge!!)

It doesn't have to be an epic months-long adventure, though. Any challenge that makes you gulp a little and feel unsure or worried about how you'll look if you don't complete it (spoiler: you'll look the same-- I've fallen short of plenty of physical challenges in my life) is a good one. If it feels scary, that's a good reason to commit and sign up. The circumstances will never be perfect and you'll never be younger than you are today, so you might as well do the thing NOW!