Hey, hey, my runner friend. Today’s warm up topic is something that shows up for a lot of us. It’s your inner critic, or as some people like to call it, your inner bully, your inner mean girl.
Now you know what I mean about this inner critic business, right? You know, that little voice that pops up right when you’re lacing up your shoes, or even maybe when you’re lying in bed thinking about going for a run. That little voice has a lot of opinions about you and running, doesn’t it? Well, I’ve got a lot to say about that voice so let’s dive in!
Listen to the Full Episode:
Featured on the Show:
- If you have any questions you’d like answered on the show, email me at podcast@notyouraveragerunner.com
- Join the Not Your Average Runner Private Facebook Community
- Not Your Average Runner Instagram
Full Episode Transcript:
Welcome to the Not Your Average Runner podcast. If you’ve never felt athletic, but you still dream about becoming a runner, you are in the right place. I’m Jill Angie, and I help fat women over 40 to start running, feel confident and change their lives. I have worked with thousands of women to help them achieve their running goals.
And now I want to help you.
Hey there, runner. Welcome to another episode of Not Your Average Runner, the podcast that is here to get you moving safely and confidently, no matter your size or age, even if you’ve never done a single athletic thing in your life. I am Jill Angie. I’m your coach. I’m your running BFF.
And today’s warm up topic is something that shows up for a lot of us. It’s your inner critic, or as some people like to call it, your inner bully, your inner mean girl, whatever you want to say, we’re going to talk about it today. So as always, you start walking and I will start talking. Now you know what I mean about this inner critic business, right?
That little voice that pops up right when you’re lacing up your shoes, or even maybe when you’re lying in bed thinking about going for a run. And it says things like Who do you think you are? You’re not really a runner. You’re too fat to be a runner. Everybody’s laughing at you. You’re so slow. It’s embarrassing.
What do you, what are you even doing? Right? That voice, I know you know that voice. And the thing is, spoiler alert, that voice is wrong. Okay, today we’re going to talk about how to keep it quiet so you can run with confidence and actually be safe. Really have that running life that you’ve always dreamed of.
So, again, like I said, that voice in your head isn’t true. It’s wrong. It is simply fear talking, fear of embarrassment, fear of failure, fear of shame. It shows up for everybody, whether you are new to running or you’ve been doing it for years. That voice happens. It’s a human thing. It’s not just for runners.
It is for everybody, right? So the key is to recognize the inner critic, the inner bully for just what it is. It’s fear of failure. It’s fear of, again, shame or embarrassment, which are other words for failure and recognize it and then not let it control you. So I want you to think about it like this. If your best friend was nervous about going out for a run, you wouldn’t be like, ‘girl, it’s so embarrassing how slow you are. You shouldn’t bother.’ You would never, ever say that. So don’t say it to yourself. Okay. And I know it’s easier said than done. We’re going to talk about that. But if your best friend was nervous about going for a run, you’d encourage her.
You’d remind her that she’s strong. You’d be like, I’m so fucking proud of you, girl. Let’s go. You would cheer her on. So I want you to start doing the same for yourself now when that inner critic starts chiming in you’re gonna try this instead of just rolling over and saying yeah, you’re right. I probably shouldn’t even bother or trying to fight it I want you to simply notice it You just acknowledge that it’s there, but don’t give it power.
You can even say, I hear you. Your opinion is noted. I’m gonna go anyway. Because what’s really happening is you, again, you’re afraid of stepping out of that comfort zone and that you might feel, you know, who knows? embarrassed or, or scared or frustrated, or you might have a bunch of emotions and, and we are afraid of negative emotions as humans.
So you’re afraid of stepping out of that comfort zone, but when you keep showing up and pushing the edges of that comfort zone, no matter what that little voice says, You’re starting to prove that you are a runner. And what happens is the voice gets quieter over time. And honestly, the voice probably will never ever go away, but you don’t have to give into it.
Okay. I’ve been a runner going on 30 years now, and I still hear the voice. But when the voice shows up now, I’m like, Are you kidding me? And we just get moving, right? And so you can get to that place. It takes practice, but you just got to keep showing up. Now, another trick is to flip the script. So the negative thoughts show up.
You’re like, I hear you. And I’m going to replace you with something a little more helpful. And it might sound cheesy. I’m not talking about affirmations where you stand in front of the mirror and say, I am a slender gazelle, right? Like nobody believes that shit. Instead, take a statement like, so your inner critic says you’re so slow, everybody thinks you should quit, and you say take in charge of my life, and I bet there’s somebody else out there who’s going to see me doing it and get inspired too, right?
You can sass back to that voice, but you can disagree. You don’t have to argue. You can simply say your opinion is noted. Here’s what I’m choosing to say to myself instead. And give it something that moves you forward, something that is more positive. Another option is to simply repeat a short mantra like, Every step I take is progress.
Right? That you can say that to yourself over and over and over as you run and it will sink in. And these little reminders are going to go a long way to shifting your mindset over time and silencing that inner biatch. All right. So I want you to remember confidence doesn’t come from being perfect. It comes from showing up, putting in the work, being proud of every effort, no matter what the outcome is.
Even if you eat it. Even if you just eat dirt, totally fail, don’t, you know, do not get the outcome that you want. I want you to still be proud of showing the F up for yourself. All right. And every time you get out there, you are building that confidence one step at a time. And trust me, you are doing way better than you think.
I promise. So as you start your run today, I want you to make it your mission to quiet that inner critic. When those doubts start creeping in, you just acknowledge them, let them glow, replace them with thoughts that move you forward because you are a runner and you deserve to be out there. All right, keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Know that I’m cheering you on every step of the way. I believe in you. And that is it for today, my friend. Remember running is a journey, You’re already on the right path. So be proud. And if you’re loving the show, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and tell your friends. Okay. And now it is time to start that interval timer and run.
I’ll see you next week.
Real quick before you go. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, you have to check out my seven day jumpstart plan. It is a free downloadable guide that will teach you exactly how to start running safely and confidently in the body you have right now. Head on over to notyouraveragerunner.com/jumpstart to grab it.
That’s notyouraveragerunner.com/jumpstart. I’d love to be a part of your journey.
Enjoy The Show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or RSS.
- Leave us a review in Apple Podcasts.
- Join the conversation by leaving a comment below!