I have given up on a few things from time to time.
When I was a kid I was a quitter more than a go-getter. Maybe I still am at times. I quit piano, the most regretted quit. I quit softball, but I don't really regret that. I quit gymnastics, but that wasn't entirely my choice (I can, however, still do a one handed cart wheel and amaze my niece who is learning to do round offs).
A few months ago I gave up chocolate for 40 days. I usually give up something in the Lenten season. This year it was Instagram and other social media. Every couple of months, I take a week off Facebook. Honestly, I would quit that one all together if not for the far away friends and pictures of nieces and nephews it allows me to keep up with. And occasionally I give up things like ice cream and pop just to keep control over my habits.
As an adult I have actually gotten much better at seeing things through. Mom made me stick with volleyball my freshman year of high school and I played 6 years for school teams and the 10 years since recreationally. I finished AmeriCorps and did a second term and anyone who knew me the first 2 months of that knows how badly I wanted to quit. But I didn't. And I am glad that I did not quit those things.
Learning to see things through has also allowed me to know when it's ok to give up and move on from something. Be it a hobby, relationship or goal that just isn't within reason.
My most recent thing I am giving up on (just for now, not forever) is training for a full marathon. In May it seemed like a good idea to sign up for one. It doesn't seem like an entirely bad idea now.
But....
It seems the best thing to do is to give it up for now. When I do my long runs, still no longer than a 1/2 marathon, my knees press on in quiet anger and pain wondering what in the world I am trying to do to them. It also is a huge time commitment that I am not quite equipped to make for the next two months.
I like running. And I want to keep liking running. And running a marathon this fall just seems that it is not the way to keep liking it. I will continue running and building a better base and strength that I need to be able to complete a marathon (someday).
But for now, I am hanging up my goal and going with being better at what I know I can already do.
Sometimes the thing to do is push through and not give up. But others, giving up might just be the best thing to do.
