Do you admit when you are wrong?
Do you admit when you are wrong, or when you have judged or assumed something inaccurately? This recently happened to me, it was that “gulp” moment when you realize that something you thought was silly (or dumb/wrong) turns out to be right (or acceptable). How often does this happen in your life? Do you admit it, accept it and apologize or continue to fight or deny something?
Most of you know I’m a passionate runner and have been running regularly for almost 40 years (it’s hard to determine when I really started running, as I was a very active athletic kid). But lately, things have been tough. I run slower, it’s harder, my body doesn’t want to move as fast, and it’s frustrating. I feel like I should be able to get out there and still run those 8-minute miles, but it’s just not happening anymore. So, I decided to try something new, and it’s actually working.
Jeff Galloway is a former Olympic runner and the creator of the Run-Walk-Run program, where you run for a few minutes, then take a short walk break, and start running again. You keep repeating that until your run is over. I’ve always thought it was for beginners (which in reality, is a great way for people to get into running), or for people who just really didn’t like or couldn’t run well. Several years ago, when I strained my knee, I did this program as a way to slowly get back into running, as it was a great way to recover from an injury. Within a month I was back up to running several miles in a row, without any problems.
But like I said, lately it’s been a struggle as I would find myself walking up hills, or just walking in the middle of the run because I just felt like walking. At the beginning of August, I decided to try something new – run 5 minutes, walk a minute, run 5 minutes, walk a minute and keep on repeating that until the run was over. And you know what? My average pace per mile is the same, if not faster, than when I was running non-stop. Dang, his program was working. When I run those 5-minutes I feel good, and then I get that short break where I walk at a steady pace, and then start back up again. And I feel pretty good. And I don’t feel lazy. And I don’t feel like a beginner. And I still feel like a runner.
Shame on me for making judgement earlier. In races I’d see people go running past me only to see them walk later on. And I judged, thinking they were just running too fast and couldn’t handle it. Now I wonder if they were doing this technique. I was always too scared about trying this in a race, wondering if I could have gone faster if I ran non-stop. Maybe someday, if I race again, I’ll try it. But for now, I’ll keep on doing the 5:1 run/walk and see how it goes.
So how does this relate to healthcare? Often times people say that chiropractic is crazy & it doesn’t “work”. But then they come into our office, and after a few weeks of care, they tell me they are sleeping better, they are less congested, they are no longer constipated, they are feeling better, and/or something like that. It’s pretty darn cool. They admit they were wrong. They realize that chiropractic care does work, that it’s not silly or dumb or crazy.
Where in your life have you done this? Where you changed your mind, admit when you are wrong, and move to what is right? Chiropractic care is not about pain relief. It’s about better function and performance. When nervous system interference is reduced/removed, the body functions and performs better, the body starts working the way it was created to work. Pain relief is often a result, but the “positive side effects” are really what people experience.
Let us know if we can help you. And in the meantime, get out there and run/walk if you want.
