This Is About Running—But Also Not About Running

By Robert Simms

Four months ago, I started running again, and I did not realize at first that it would become a lesson in recognizing personal progress.

At the time, I could not run continuously for 10 minutes. I needed a Couch to 5K running plan that alternated between walking and running. The early runs were difficult, and even once I could run consistently, keeping a pace of around eight minutes per kilometre took almost everything I had. Talking easily while running was not really an option.

A couple of weeks ago, I completed a 5K race in 31 minutes.

Then, on a recent run, I noticed that I could hold a conversation while running at roughly the same eight-minute-per-kilometre pace that had once felt overwhelming. You could still tell I was running—I was not casually strolling along—but I could talk, stay present, and keep going.

The pace may have been the same, but the effort required to maintain it was vastly different.

That is what makes this about running, but also not about running.

Recognizing Personal Progress Does Not Always Look Dramatic

We often evaluate ourselves based only on what we can do today.

We stand at today’s starting line and notice that something is still difficult. We're still tired or anxious. We're still struggling to focus, regulate our emotions, set boundaries, recover from burnout, or navigate situations that seem easier for other people. There can be any number of difficulties we are trying to work through.

Because the struggle has not disappeared, we assume we are not making progress.

But today’s eight-minute kilometre may not be the same as the eight-minute kilometre you ran months—or even years—ago.

You may be moving at a similar pace, but perhaps you recover more quickly. Maybe you notice overwhelm earlier, ask for help sooner, or speak to yourself with a little more compassion. Perhaps something that once consumed your entire day now takes an hour to move through.

The situation may look similar from the outside, but the amount of effort it requires from you may have changed significantly.

That matters.

We Keep Moving the Finish Line

One reason progress can be difficult to recognize is that we often move the finish line without realizing it.

At first, my goal was to run for 10 minutes without stopping. Once I could do that, it no longer felt like an accomplishment—it simply became the new baseline. Then the goal became running farther, finishing faster, or completing a race.

Each achievement quickly became something I was “supposed” to be able to do.

We do this in other parts of our lives, too. We adapt to what we have accomplished and immediately focus on what remains difficult. The thing we once hoped we could manage becomes something we barely acknowledge.

This does not mean we don't set new goals. Growth can give us the capacity to reach for more. But if we only look ahead, we can lose sight of how far we have already travelled.

For many people, this can show up around boundaries, burnout, and ADHD, too. You may still find a situation hard, but be more able to recognize your limits, communicate what you need, or recover afterwards. That is not nothing. It is capacity.

Sometimes We Need the Full Perspective

Progress is rarely a straight line. Some days feel easier, while others feel as though we are back at the beginning. Stress, health, sensory demands, grief, burnout, sleep, and the support available to us can all affect what we can do on a particular day.

A difficult day does not erase the work that came before it.

Sometimes we need to step back and compare where we are now with where we actually started—not with where we think we should be.

Four months ago, I could not run continuously for 10 minutes. A couple of weeks ago, I completed a 5K race in 31 minutes. If I only focused on my pace today, I might overlook the consistency, effort, and change that made that possible.

So yes, this is about running.

But it is also about healing, learning, building capacity, and becoming more comfortable with something that once felt impossible. In psychotherapy at Embodied Resilience Wellness Clinic, we often make room to notice this kind of change—without demanding that someone be “finished” before their growth counts.

If you feel as though you are not making progress, consider looking back—not to judge the person you were, but to see the distance you have already covered. Recognizing personal progress may mean noticing that the challenge is still there, while also acknowledging that you are meeting it with more capacity than before.

You may be moving at a pace that looks familiar.

That does not mean you are in the same place.