Give Yourself Some (or a lot of) Credit: A 2026 Midsummer Check-In

So that being said, I wrote this essay in May after going through a season of training for some spring races that felt a little bit touch and go for me.

And you'll hear about why.

I ended up running two races this spring after coming off of a long cycle of an injury last year in 2025.

And when I wrote this essay between those two races, I really was just feeling this need to kind of pause and reset and acknowledge some things.

And I know that that is a thing we often need a reminder to do, not only because I know that I need that reminder sometimes, but I end up talking to clients about this pretty often, that sometimes we need to pause and acknowledge what we've worked on and the work we've done to get to where we are right now.

Because sometimes it feels like we're not quite where we want to be, but that doesn't mean we haven't progressed quite a bit.

Even if that is a winding road, even if it's nonlinear, as we always say, even if it's two steps forward, one step back, you're still one step further than you were when you started.

And I know all too well from the work that I do and the lived experiences that I've had that when you're in Some form of treatment for REDS, an eating disorder, an injury, maybe you're in a postpartum season, maybe you're in a season out of sport for any given reason.

I know that it can feel sometimes like you're really far from where you want to be, but chances are you're also far from where you started.

So I want to come in.

It's midsummer for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, midwinter if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, or mid-season.

And I want to come in and just give you this reminder again to give yourself a little bit of credit for wherever you happen to be right now.

And I'm going to read an essay that I wrote about two months ago, literally titled, Give Yourself Some or a Lot of Credit, Remembering to Acknowledge the Highs Along the Way.

It starts with a quote.

Last Sunday, I did run that half marathon, the one that I wasn't so sure I could run, or I should run, the one I optimistically registered for a few months ago, and it was totally fine.

Actually, it was a lot of fun, as many of my low-expectation races have been over the past few years.

It was a reminder that my body does have some endurance running history in it, and I can both trust that and be smart about how I tap into it.

A reminder to give myself some credit for the work that I've done that allows me to line up on a starting line a little under-trained but ready enough for the miles ahead.

I've entered this spring racing season very tentatively.

I made some sideways decisions last year in 2025 that set me back significantly.

I spent dozens of hours doing little physical therapy exercises and a lot of strength workouts.

And here I find myself at a point where maybe, just maybe, I could actually run this race without being 100% ready.

Last year, 2025, I ran the New York City Half Marathon in March, a tricky race to train for as a Michigan resident who mostly avoids the treadmills.

I'm working on it.

And then I kept that fitness for another local half in June.