VANCOUVER June 17th 2015. Digital Champion Mike Hsiao began his running journey in December 2012. He was borderline obese, stressed from life and school and suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). After spending the night in the ER due to complications Mike decided that he needed to make a change for good, and that change was running! He started out with just two laps around the track, and after pouring hours into his training, that two laps quickly turned into his first 10k race. In 2013 he ran the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon, his first 21.1k race. Since then, mike has completed close to 18 races, including 6 half-marathons, 1 full marathon, 137 Grouse Grinds, and 1 triathlon. He’s lost 1/4 of my body weight and is now fully cured of the NAFLD. Now, Mike is raising awareness and funds to help find cures for liver diseases so no one has to go through what he did. Connect with Mike on Instagram and on his blog.
Running: A State of Mind. By Mike Hsiao
Something that is often overlooked is how important the mind really is. You aren’t becoming a Buddhist monk so it’s not a thing where you sit and meditate for countless hours to get the right state. Rather, it is a process of learning and understanding your body and the little unnoticeable accomplishments that are like pieces of a puzzle that creates a bigger picture, which is an image of you.
When I started running, I was all alone and struggled with myself. But what I really struggled with wasn’t my weight or the workout, but really the little insecure monsters that creep out here and there. I would start to compare myself to other people and wonder why I wasn’t like them. At the gym I would compare myself to the guys with the six pack abs, or during a run, I would compare myself to the people who seemed to be bolting by me without breaking a sweat. Having these insecurities and not knowing what to do when your mind starts to think like this isn’t a good feeling. The mental struggle is real and probably the most challenging of all of the factors when it comes to training for a race. Until I figured out some ways to make it better for myself, racing and running felt like a drag. It really comes down to two things: realizing what your limits, strengths and weaknesses are and letting your mind grow so you can become a better person.
Realizing your limits: One key thing that I’ve learned is that everyone is different. This may sound cliché but if you think about it, it’s meaning is profound. Our genetics are different and depending on our life experiences, there is not one identical person in this world. So you can’t expect to run as fast as Usain Bolt or look the same as that really annoying guy next door with the six pack, beautiful hazel eyes and perfect teeth. You were built to be you and no one can replicate you. There’s a famous saying by Oscar Wilde “Be yourself, because everyone else is taken”. So if you put in an hour to train for a race and Mr. Super hot dude next door is also putting in an hour at the gym, but the “results” look more visible on him than you, that doesn’t mean you haven’t trained. You are both putting in an hour, you are both trying your best. The key is to find out what your best is and be satisfied with that. You can only really go as fast as you were built to go (if you go any faster, you risk injury). Once you accept yourself for who you are, then all of a sudden there is only one competitor on the race track, and that is you.
Building your strengths: This is where the challenge really begins. Once you realize what your limits are, you need to fight the inner battle on the other side of things, and this is recognizing where your weaknesses are. These weaknesses are things that you can build upon and they don’t necessarily have a limit. For example, if you always have a hard time running non-stop up hills, this is a weakness. If you have a hard time running up hills at the speed of Usain Bolt (that said, if you are Usain Bolt or an Olympian, then pretend the Usain Bolt we are talking about in here is a Cheetah or something), then the expectation maybe beyond what you were built for. Once you find your own weaknesses, this is where the mind comes in. Your mind will help you set your goals to build on the weaknesses and convert them into strengths. Your mind will keep you going to achieve your goals and overcome your weaknesses. Your mind will ultimately bring you through the hard times and help you persevere through tough training and that last few kilometers of every race.
The result: When you throw away your insecurities and just enjoy the moment of the race, the people around you doing the sport and thing they love, that is when running becomes fun. The training leading up to a race is more about the mental challenge than anything else because you are getting to know the person you should know the most, which is yourself. You are getting to know your limits, your strengths and ultimately, you are building your own owner’s manual. At the end of the race, besides being more physically fit, it is really the mind and what you have put yourself through to grow as a person that is the prize.
I look forward to seeing you at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon on June 28th! I love making friends so feel free to connect with me via Instagram or Facebook.
