Don’t let yourself get dragged into other people’s goals. I know what you’re thinking, what the heck are you talking about Sara? I’m talking about reaching your own goals and seeking the things you desire, not someone else’s.

Some people like challenges, I think we all do, but some people REALLY like challenges. And it’s important that you find a challenge you’ll enjoy and be proud of.

In this day and age, the challenges are getting longer, harder and crazier. There is a market for these things as many people like to push themselves to the absolute limit.

Finding a running style and distance is a personal thing. I think the natural assumption is that if you run you must at some point do a marathon. But this isn’t true. Some people like 5k’s, 10k’s or half’s and have no desire to run a marathon. Good for them!

Some people like to run really fast, and others just want to plod along merrily.

As athletes, we like to push each other, which is excellent, but we need to know when to stop pushing someone. I see it a lot on the internet, someone get’s super excited about their new challenge and try to get others to join in. This is not a bad thing, but when someone says ‘no’ we need to listen. Just because you want to run a marathon backwards doesn’t mean everyone else wants to join you.

If you’re new to running I highly recommend joining a friendly couch to 5k running club (I hear the Beginners to Runners is nice) and finding like-minded people. If you already know you like a challenge joining an athletics club might be more appropriate. If you like being alone, run alone, just be safe about it and keep phone and ID on you for emergencies.

If you’re already a seasoned athlete, then please just respect everyone’s choices. We are all individuals and all run for various reasons so let’s keep it pleasant and support everyone.