Remember The Matrix and how much it rocked when it came out in 1999? Can you believe it’s been more than a decade?! Anyway, I decided to watch The Matrix last night. Instead of simply being a movie, The Matrix became something else, something bigger. Neo’s transformation from boring Mr. Anderson into The One parallels a non-runner’s transformation into a runner.

And with that, I present to you…

THE MATRIX GUIDE TO RUNNING
Wake up, Neo. The Matrix has you.

Step One: FREE YOUR MIND

What is the Matrix?

The Matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. YOU ARE A RUNNER. But the Matrix has you believe otherwise. YOU CAN RUN. But the Matrix attempts to hold you back, preventing you from achieving greatness. You are a slave kept inside a prison, a prison for your mind. You are restricted by no physical bounds, only psychological ones.

So free yourself. Free your mind.

Choose the blue pill, and the story ends. You go back to being who you were. You go down the path that you’ve always chosen. You stay within the Matrix, doing the same routine that you’ve always known. You succumb to your mind’s fabricated lies. You choose to believe that you are not a runner, that you cannot and will never be able to run. Morpheus could only show Neo the door, but Neo had to be the one to walk through it. I can tell you over and over again that you are a runner, that you CAN run, that you are ABLE to run, but I cannot force you to believe it.

Choose the red pill, and you liberate your mind. You free yourself from your mental constraints, from the psychological bounds inhibiting you from running. You break down the walls that have imprisoned you both mentally and physically. You tear down the excuses that have prevented you from running. You believe in yourself. You believe that you can run and nothing can hold you back.

So what will it be, Neo? Red or blue?

 

Step Two: GIVE YOURSELF TIME AND NEVER GIVE UP.

Why do my eyes hurt? You’ve never used them before.

When Neo gets unplugged from the Matrix and brought aboard Morpheus’ ship, he had to undergo some major reparations. His muscles had atrophied. Even his eyes were weak. It took a lot of time and patience for his body to adjust to the changes. Just like Neo, your choice to run means that your body will require time to adjust and strengthen, so you must be patient. You have never used some of those muscles before. Your body is new to running. Treat it as such. Give it time. Be patient. The Matrix has had you bound for a long while. It will take time for you to condition yourself. It will take time for you to adjust to running. It will take time for you to overcome shin splints, burning lungs, cotton mouth. It will take time for you to increase your speed and endurance. So be patient.

After Neo’s body properly healed, his first training session was to fight Morpheus. Time and time again, Morpheus knocked him down. But time and time again, Neo got back up. He did not quit after one try. He did not quit after two. He did not quit, period.

You might not be able to run a minute today, so try the day after tomorrow. Try next week. Try next month. Keep trying. If you falter once, twice, or even a hundred times, do not give up. Sooner or later, you will succeed. Sooner or later, you will reach your goal. The important thing is to be persistent and consistent. Never give up.

 

Step Three: SEEK OUT YOUR SUPPORTERS

Neo did not wait to be found by Morpheus. He waited night and day in front of his computer searching for Morpheus. He wanted answers to his questions, so he looked for people who knew. He looked for people who were liberated from the Matrix because they could help him find the truth. And these people became his biggest supporters. Morpheus and Trinity believed without a doubt that he was The One. Morpheus was ready to sacrifice his life in order to save Neo’s. When Neo wanted to go rescue Morpheus from the agents, Trinity did not let him go alone. She was right by his side.

Find people who love to run. Ask them how they train. Ask them why they love running. Ask them how they have liberated their minds. They will guide you. They will comfort you. They will support you. They will train with you, they will motivate you, they will inspire you. They understand when you’re having a rough time with running because, chances are, they’ve been in the same situation as well. Surround yourself with people who have a passion for what you’re doing because they will believe in you, despite what you and others may think. They will believe that you are capable of running, even on days when you don’t even believe in yourself. They know that you are a runner, even if you might not think so.

Find your Trinity. Find your Morpheus.

 

Step Four: FIGHT THE AGENTS

Agent Smith was nothing and everything all at once. He could shift shapes and transform almost instantaneously. He instilled fear. He caused destruction. He was ruthless.

Agent Smith is your fear, your self-doubt, your hesitation. He is your excuses, your mental roadblock. He is your tripping stone. But you have to face him. You have to fight him.

In the subway station, Neo was not afraid of the agent. He did not run. Instead, he faced his fears head on because he started to believe in himself. He became The One. Time and time again, Agent Smith attacked him, but Neo fought on. Even when the agent had him in a choke hold, he did not give up. He did not let his fears overcome and control him.

Whether it stems from your age, your gender, your weight, or any other reason, your fear of running has the ability to grab you in a choke hold and prevent you from progressing forward, from fulfilling your destiny, from becoming The One. Don’t give in to your fears. Don’t run away from it. Face it head on. Fight it. And beat it.

Your excuses, usually in the form of “I can’t do it,” has the ability to toy with your mind, to break you down. Do not let them win and take you over. Do not let your excuses prevent you from trying, from giving it your best, each and every day. Face your excuses. Realize that your excuses and fears are only a figment of your imagination. There is no spoon.

You have to let it all go, Neo. Fear, doubt, and disbelief.

You are The One. You ARE a runner.

 

Step Five: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Neo defeated the agents because he believed in himself. He realized that the bullets weren’t real, that his fears did not exist. He believed in his own strength and abilities. He knew what he was capable of. He relinquished all self-doubt and was born anew. “Neo” even means “new”. Coincidence? I think not.

Believe in yourself. Believe that you can do it. Believe from deep within your heart that you are a runner. Cross out “I am going to be a runner” and insert “I AM a runner.” Substitute “I can’t do it” with “I CAN do it.” You need to believe that you are The One. You need to believe, without a doubt, that you are a runner.

I know you are, but I can only show you the door. You must walk through it yourself.

Become your own Neo. Become The One.