A Race Vs. A Marathon

Here we are, 11 days after the election. I don’t know about you, but I already feel a bit exhausted. The news cycle is constant and sometimes stunning. There is a lot of catastrophizing about what could happen. Often, I feel like I have no control, and democracy, as we know it, is over. Have you felt like that recently?

I’m a jogger, so I find myself using the analogy of aerobic exercise. We call elections a “race” don’t we, and people “run” for office. As for me, I was exhausted by election day even though I didn’t follow closely until Biden dropped out. I was counting down until I could mute all my political feed notifications and return to my favorite art process videos. Cross the finish line and the race is won . . . or not.

It’s hard for people to adapt to the fact that the race might be done, but the marathon of resistance has just begun. Kamala Harris said in her concession speech, “Sometimes the fight takes a while—that doesn’t mean we won’t win.” If we stop engaging because the race is over, though, we won’t win.

Strategies For Running A Successful Marathon

I thought it would be fun to compare resistant strategies to expert advise on running a marathon. Here goes.

• Pace, don’t push in the beginning: There is a theory that, if you are running a marathon, it is better to push hard (bank time) in the beginning. Actually, the experts have found the opposite to be true – go a bit slower than your normal pace the first half of the marathon.
• Don’t try to push past others too early in the marathon: Relax and find your space but trying to push past every slower runner early in the game will burn energy that you need later in the marathon
• Slowly increase your pace: Once you are a few miles in, find your normal pace. Be sure to keep an eye on your energy balance (food and fluid intake.)
• As the marathon continues, focus on your focus: Keep your mind and body relaxed. Keep your self-talk positive. Yes, you can!!
• Use positive mental imagery if you feel yourself beginning to lag: What would election night look like if we won the marathon?
• Use surges to re-power: Pick-up the pace for a short distance to re-energize.
• Break long stretches down into short successes: Focus on one mile, or one block at a time.

How To Resist: Pace, Energize, Focus, Use Your Strengths

I find most of these easy to apply to being a force of resistance. Right now, I know I need to learn to pace more and push less, because watching news is pretty deflating right now. Oh, it’s tempting to watch every stream or read every tweet (or skeet) – but it is exhausting and anxiety-producing because we have no control over someone’s cabinet choices. That, in turn, creates helplessness. That’s not to say we should tune out entirely – now is the time to write your senators to push for confirmation of federal judges, for instance, before Biden leaves office.

So, I’m not saying not to watch news/social media and take action, but don’t neglect those things that give you energy. The more time you spend on negative things that you can’t control, the more your battery drains. Don’t put too much energy into pushing past every tweet you don’t like by responding. Get out in nature, watch your favorite movie, rake leaves, spend time with people who make you happy, cuddle your dog or cat.

Conserve energy but begin to find your pace or space. Where can you use your strengths to make a difference in the resistance? Start exploring what organizations you can support – organizations that do have leverage to push back. Are there things going on in your community or state that grab your interest?

Conclusion: Stay Resilient, Finish Strong

Look, the early months are going to be draining. Pushing too hard too fast will drain the battery. Yes, stay in touch with elected officials and let them know where you stand. Use the time to begin to focus on high-leverage areas where you can participate. Take time to rejuvenate with activities (away from politics) that recharge your batteries. Focus on your self-talk and staying positive. Imagine the world you want for the future – that gives you momentum to stay in the fight going forward.

Remember, an election is a race but resistance is a marathon. Stay resilient.

If you like this post – please hit the like and subscribe for future posts. Also, please follow me on Bluesky (Resilience Tuff) where I will be focused on strategies to build resilience as we run the marathon of resistance.

Please share your strategies for staying resilient during the marathon in the comments below! Let’s share ideas!