Tuesday, June 2, 2026 – High Achieving, …
Hi Everyone!
Congrats to Tanis and Laura who ran a 10K trail race this weekend and I believe both finished first and second in their age group! What a great way to celebrate the summer weather. And congrats to Pearce who ran his first ever 800m on the track and has another one coming up tonight! Way to jump into the new. I know we have some avid cyclists in this group as well, and I will just say that I highly endorse long rides as a training method while we can. More and more runners are proving that cross training pays off. If you are a cyclist and want to jump in, ask any of us and we’ll add you to the chat!
Last week I was listening to a podcast with a running coach. He said something that resonated with me as something I have recognize in myself in the past, and sometimes see in athletes I coach. He said a lot of the athletes who he coaches, both elite and competitive corporate athletes, display the traits of “high-achieving, insecure”. Despite being high achievers – often in athletics and in life – they are constantly trying to prove themselves in training, always wanting to “do one more” or go a little bit faster than prescribed. Ambition itself is not the problem and is not a bad thing. But it’s worth examining where the feeling of “needing to do more” comes from. If it’s coming from a place of insecurity, of not being good enough – despite objective measurements which say the opposite, then the drive can become unhealthy and self-destructive. These athletes have tuned out listening to their bodies, and often find themselves in a cycle of injury or burnout.
The more confident and self-assured athletes have no problem leaving the workout with “one more left in the tank” if that was what was prescribed, or to walk away when their body is telling them they are done. They can evaluate the purpose of the workout, how they are feeling that day, and make a plan that takes both into account. They are good communicators, and can tell their coaches when they need to back off.
Of course everyone loves a hard worker, and hard work gets results. But knowing and sticking to your own boundaries is also important. This is the case in athletics and in the workplace. I want my kids to be hard workers and to do good work when they show up. I also want them to be able to set boundaries and not say they’ll do more every time because they feel guilty (in my family this applies way more to one kid than the other!) Very few employers will say you’re working too much if your working serves them well. So yes, working a ton can lead to achievement. But when it’s driven by insecurity, your own needs can go unmet and you’re likely to feel resentful or burnt out.
Again, this is a tricky balance. When you’re new and not proven, or not yet able to produce high quality work, and you want to stand out in some way, doing more can get you there (this is my message to my other kid). Also, wanting to do more because of a true love of what you’re doing, with a sense of joy and curiosity, can be quite healthy. Sometimes an athlete will ask to do more or go a bit faster, and it feels right. But if it has become a compulsion to always do the max or to consistently go faster than prescribed, regardless of whether you feel good or not, it is probably driven by insecurity. And it might be worth pausing and questioning where that comes from, and whether we can re-establish a joyous and confident relationship to our running and work.
On to tomorrow’s workout – back to the spit! Meeting at Lakeshore and Leslie at 6:05 for drills, 6:15 GO!
6 min – MP into HMP progressive
2 min easy
4 x 3 min @ 10K w 90
3 min easy
6 min – MP into HMP progressive
That is all – see you in the a.m.!
xo
Seanna