Good morning forum friends... First of all , I offer HUGE apologies for the Corner being opened a day late!
No, I was not on strike...
I was just a tad snowed under , not real snow, just a pile of running gear! I was looking for a particular outfit for my running, it was taking a while, which led on to deciding it was time for a tidy up of my tops and bottoms running drawer, which led on to my thinking about running outfits.
Yes, I agree with you it is very odd, is it not how the simple things I do, always lead on to some DEEP thinking?
The thought that I thought had a lot to so with running and what we wear. Please do not be misled by the photo or the caption.. this is not about fashion!
My photograph shows some of my running outfits. They are varied, funky and colourful, Winter weight, Summer weight, full length, cropped, long and short sleeved! Some bought, ( always in sales), and many gifts for birthday or Christmas, over the seven years + that I have been running.
But the one outfit, the best outfit, that has not cost a single penny?
Well, I won't find it under that pile of clothes, that is for sure. I have it, and you have it.
That running outfit that we all have? Confidence.
Running and Confidence are trail mates, They go together,
Whether you are, like so many friends here with us, a brand new runner, doing C25K and feeling so unsure of how far, how fast or even whether you will get to that Graduation podium, or someone who has been here a while longer., and has lost that sure feeling. Maybe you are a seasoned runner, who is achieving things that many of us only dream of 
Confidence is the one outfit that we all wear.
Okay , what does this outfit look like? Well, definition wise, confidence is, a belief that we have the abilities needed to achieve a certain outcome. In this instance... a belief that we are able to run
The fact that we have all got this outfit, does not mean that we all wear it in the same way, because sometimes... that confidence is more obvious that at other times. Because sometimes, that outfit, a bit like a running top or bottom, is worn high or low! Although we all have it, does not mean we are always fully aware of it, and occasionally, we may feel as if we do not have it at all!
Wearing our confidence well, can be something we have to work at, to build up and be prepared too, that once we have it on, it is not always going to feel the same or comfortable. Weirdly too, the beliefs we have in ourselves, that help keep that confidence fitting comfortably, have less to do what we are actually capable of, and more to do with what we THINK we can do.
Many of us are or have recently, been struggling. Many forum friends here, are trying to make a return to the running which they love so much ( me included). Illness, injury, life issues, money worries or family concerns, have impacted and still are, impacting, on us.
This is the time when we are most vulnerable, and most likely to lose that outfit underneath a pile of worry and self doubt. Even the easiest, or shortest distance on a run becomes something to be afraid of, and we are almost defeated before we begin.
So; what can we do !
Well. We can talk to ourselves...Self-Talk.
Yup, I do that all the time...I do not care whether I look like a loopy old woman in a strange outfit who mumbles as she runs up the hill. It works for me, and last week ,when I did my first run since 30th November... I talked all the way out and all the way back, only proving too, that I WAS running at a conversational pace!
What we need to try to do is to talk to ourself ( no, you don't have to do it out aloud), in an honest, positive way. Positive statements and positive celebration of every run we take.
Self Belief...
Believing you can, is adding to the confidence. Everything you tell yourself, you have to know that you are capable of. It might feel strange at first especially if you are a new runner, but you will get used to it, just like getting used to a new pair of running shoes.
Self-visualisation
Just like planning any outfit for an occasion, this running outfit is exactly the same. Visualise wearing it, visualise the run you are going to do, set out the running gear and think about where you are and where you are going. Be excited and know that you are going to have fun.
Confidence...!
So there we are, the weekly thoughts of Snail Floss !
Now, I and all of us in the very tidy, ( now), Corner, sitting here by the fire, drinking juice or coffee, munching on a lunchtime treat or some other tasty snack, are waiting to hear your thoughts.
Maybe you have had a time when you felt you had not got that outfit on? Maybe you thought you had lost it forever? I know I thought I had, a while back, but there it was, hidden under my running jacket!
I am looking forward to hearing from you soon, and oh yes, when you head out for your next run... just have a quick check in the mirror.. make sure you've got your Self-Confidence on straight
Oldfloss x
