How to give when your cup is empty

I woke up today with no intention of running. I was so tired I didn't think I could. I thought of taking a day off, which I will, but with the holiday this week, I am expecting with my travels my running schedule may get a bit challenging. I figured I'd get in a run today, even if it was slow and steady.

I figured a recovery type run would make sense. After the hills yesterday, I deserve it. So I started slow. As I started going, after about a mile I felt good. Then, two miles... felt better. Then 3 and I was in tempo pace (I know, running coaches out there, I should be taking it easy). I ended up doing negative splits ( faster second half of the 5 mile run then the first) and felt great. It reminded me of a quote from well known yoga teacher BKS Iyengar, " Yoga students do their best postures when they are the most exhausted." I've never seen him say that, but one of my favorite yoga teachers often quoted Iyengar and worked with him directly. I thought of that quote as I started to run. In the context of yoga, we talk about how when the resistance of the body and mind is broken down ( not the spirit, mind you) the body can move in a more fluid way. The same for running or any athletic endeavor, really. Take away the resistance and you get flow. In yoga , it's called "vinyasa," or the sanskrit word for "flow." You've probably felt it in your life.. think of a time when you were doing something and time stood still, or you weren't even thinking of time at all. For many people, it comes with times when they were in nature, or performing in some sporting event, or watching sports or some other kind of amazing performance.. or being with someone you love, or watching a child..all these things can bring you into flow.

The next time you don't think you can give anymore, just try it. See what you can give. Sometimes you have more to give then you think. And as they say, often it's the "thinking" that gets in the way. Get out of your head, into your body, and just do it.