I can do hard things
Reflections on my first race and the magic of trying
I can’t believe it’s been a month since I completed City2Surf. It was my first race and the longest distance I had ever run—14 kilometers from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach. Despite getting completely drenched a third of the way in (the rain that day was relentless!), I loved every minute.
The atmosphere was electric. Even though I ran it alone, I felt an overwhelming sense of community. The excitement of my fellow runners and the energy of the volunteers, handing us water and cheering us on, was palpable. The rush I felt that day is hard to put into words.
Just being able to run through the streets of Sydney—up hills and through tunnels—alongside 90,000 people was an incredible experience.
Running has taken the world by storm. Half my Instagram feed is Strava stats: friends running world majors and smashing PBs left and right; friends who don’t run at all casually pacing faster than me. Scrolling through people’s Stories, it’s easy to feel like my accomplishment is no big deal. “Running 14km? That’s just another Tuesday for Brian!” (I don’t actually know any Brians, and no offense to any of them, but you get the point.)
But look: Six months ago, I could barely run a 5K. A year ago, I hated running. I gave myself a goal (against my better judgment, lol), I pushed myself and I accomplished it. And that’s something to be proud of.
In today’s hyper-curated, social media-obsessed world, it’s so easy to compare ourselves to everyone else. Seeing the grand achievements of others can make our own milestones feel small or insignificant. Worse yet, it can stop us from trying new things for fear of looking “cringe” or failing.
But isn’t that the point? To try, to fail, to progress, to stumble, to get bored of one thing, try something else, and then repeat the whole process all over again?
At the end of the day, the best thing we can do is try, and in that lies the magic. That’s when we get to we discover ourselves, grow as humans, and come to realize: I can do hard things.
Always amazed by you.😍