Say “No” for Happiness

Textile Art from Peru Say “No” for happiness? That’s right. I propose that you have to be as willing to say “No” as you are willing to say “Yes” when it comes to your happiness as a runner or walker.

I have pondered this proposition over the years, but the idea came to me again as my wife and I reviewed our latest vacation — to Perú — and discussed what brought us joy and what failed to bring us joy.

We ended up with a list of “No”s for future vacations, so let me use that list to get you to think about what truly matters to YOUR happiness when training and racing.

Too Much Gear

I took a Kodak Zi8 camera as a supplement to my digital SLR, for when my wife or I wanted to take a quick video or modest-resolution snapshot. Unfortunately, I had forgotten about the Kodak’s landscape/close-up slider switch on the top, so half-way through the vacation I accidentally switched it to close-up mode and ended up with blurry videos that can serve only as audio/video backgrounds to the stills that I shot with the SLR.

If I had said “No” to using the Kodak as anything other than an in-the-luggage backup in case my SLR died, then I more likely would have paid attention to its focus switch in the event that I had to use it.

Do you need to say “No” to too much gear? For example:

Are you training or racing with a hydration belt AND a handheld water bottle even though your group training program or race will have water stops along your route? Read the book Waterlogged, and you will stop worrying about not having enough water.
Are you dressing so that you are warm enough at the start of a race? The rule of thumb is that you should dress for temperatures that are 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit warmer. You’ll be a bit cold at the start, but you’ll be happier at the end of the race than if you had the extra layers to lug to the finish line.
Are you planning to wear blinking lights in a race? Unless the race is on an unmarked trail at night, you should be able to leave your blinkies at home.

Worn Gear

I took two roll-around bags on the trip: one to check, and one to fit under the seat. Our vacation involved a total of six flights and four hotels, and by its end each of those roll-around bags had a busted wheel.

If I had said “No” to grabbing my luggage out of my closet without double-checking it for wear and tear, then I would have avoided the challenge of dragging — instead of rolling — each bag at some point.

Do you need to say “No” to worn gear? For example:

Has the elastic in your hydration belt stretched so much that even safety-pinning it shorter will not make it short enough? Then it’s time to get a new belt. Be sure to get one that fits you snugly when you have on whatever you would wear in a race or on a training run or walk. (This is yet another example of why I am a big fan of shopping at a specialty store.)
Are the nipples on your hydration bottles leaky? You don’t want to sit somewhere before a race and accidentally give a water or sports-drink shower to the person sitting behind you. And, you certainly don’t want to discover that your special drink has drained out of your hydration bottles and onto the trunk, floorboard, or back seat of your car.
Is your headlamp battery on its final electrons? It’s cheaper to check and replace the battery than it would be to trip on something hazardous but unseen and then twist your ankle or break a bone.

Wrong Gear

I packed clothes based on what I expected that I might need in Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu, not based on weather forecasts. So, I ended up in Perú with too much of some clothes and not enough of other clothes.

If I had said “No” to the “take a little bit of everything” approach and instead studied the weather predictions, then I would have been happier on the trip. Plus, if the weather had not matched the predictions, I always could have bought some nice items to suit that weather.

Do you need to say “No” to the wrong gear? For example:

Are you considering packing a rain jacket for a race for which the chance is rain is 20%? Leave it behind. You’ll get to enjoy lighter luggage, and you could always buy something at the race expo, if absolutely necessary.
Are you going to wear compression tights in your upcoming race even though you never train with them? I can tell you from experience (I wear mine for every race and long training run.) that not knowing how compression tights can rub you the wrong way can lead to a lot of unhappiness by the end of your race.
Are you thinking about switching to a different brand of shorts for a race, so that you can “look great” in those race photos? Think again. If you have not trained in a piece of clothing, then wearing it on race day can be the wrong move.

Other “No”s

Besides too much gear, worn gear, and the wrong gear, here are some other “No”s that I identified with my wife from our Peruvian vacation — and how you might apply them to your happiness as a runner or walker.

“No” to a certain airline: I won’t name the airline, because that is not the point of this article, but we were very disappointed with the competence and responsiveness of its staff. So, we will say “No” to future flights with that airline. Similarly, be willing to say “No” to certain race organizers, if you know that they behave in ways that degrade your race experience.
“No” to multiple hotels per vacation: Although we enjoyed the many locations that we visited, we also found it tedious and eventually stressful to re-pack and unpack as we moved from hotel to hotel throughout our trip. Similarly, be willing to say “No”, so that you can minimize “relocation” activities on a race trip.
“No” to any more connecting flights than absolutely necessary: Because of the vacation package that we used, it took us nearly 24 hours to reach our initial destination in Perú, when it could have taken us about eight hours. Similarly, be willing to say “No” to drive-all-night road trips and “free” parking that is miles from your race start or finish.

Boundaries and Clarity

If you think about it, then you’ll see that all of these examples are about boundaries and clarity. If you are clear about what you want, and if you set firm boundaries based on that clarity, then I guarantee that you will be happier with your training and racing.