Why your self-perception is shaping your results

For the past two weeks I've been sharing my journey of learning to run again and how I was able to go from not running for over 7 years, to completing a half-marathon.

I wanted to spend time unpacking this because the journey taught me so much about life and business.

Last week I reflected on how the turning point happened when I had an objective third party (my PT) point out to me that I had a strong limiting belief around my ability to run, and that perhaps it was time to re-visit said belief.

It was the change in my self-perception that allowed me to even consider running a race. Once my self-perception changed and I could see myself as someone who could run, I was then able to make the decision to enter a race and run for charity.

The really crucial point here is this: Our behaviours are a direct result of who we believe and perceive we are.

If you see yourself as someone who is 'not able to exercise', 'not an entrepreneur', or any other perception you have of yourself, your belief about who you are will dictate the actions that you take (and the actions that you do not take) in order to sustain the belief.

So pause and reflect: what’s something you wish you were taking action on - but aren’t? Could it be that there is an inner perception about who you are that is perhaps stopping you from being able to align your actions with your beliefs?

Once we identify those internal stories, we can begin to gently challenge them. This is where coaches, mentors or therapists can be incredibly powerful - helping us see ourselves differently, shift our identity, and develop beliefs that empower meaningful action.

Back to the half-marathon story...

I was signed up for the race, and I had a few months to train.

At first, I massively resisted it. I was still battling with my old identity of 'I'm no longer able to run' whilst building my new identity of 'I can definitely run again.' This took time and led to periods of inconsistency. The main thing though is that I continued to work on my new empowering self-belief which meant training became easier and more consistent.

I was also still battling my fear of my previous tendonitis flaring up. However, I engaged in a gradual training programme and I had my PT Ilona encouraging me along the way. When we are replacing old beliefs with new ones, it's critical to surround ourselves with people that encourage us and believe in us. We can borrow from their belief in us until we start to fully believe in ourselves.

I participated in Ilona's running club a few times, and then as I started to build to longer distance runs, I recruited the help of a lovely friend of mine called Maria, who is a keen runner.

Having an accountability buddy, as well as a person that was way ahead in the running game than me, made it so much easier and quicker for me to make significant progress. By running with her, my mileage increased considerably. She was supportive both in terms of helping me to show up, and keeping me going when I was tired during long runs. It made a huge difference.

Working on our goals with others around us increases our chances of success monumentally. It is so much more difficult to sustain motivation and consistency alone. Whether it is training for a race, running a business, or any other meaningful pursuit, surround yourself with people who are on the same journey - it makes all the difference.

Each run that I completed didn’t just build stamina - it built belief. I was becoming someone who could do this and my self-perception massively shifted. It was incredible to FEEL like a runner, after so many years of believing I would never run again. Realising I could shift such a deeply held belief was liberating - and it made me wonder: what other beliefs have I accepted as truth that I could let go of?

Just When I Thought I Had It All Figured Out…

Training was going so well. I had managed to run up to 16 kilometres without stopping. I felt invincible.

However, three weeks before race day, I hit my first big wall: runner’s knee. I could barely walk, let alone run. I had to significantly reduce my mileage during runs, and this led to me feeling very insecure about my ability to show up for the race, let alone finish it.

I modified my training programme and allowed my knees to rest. The pain didn't fully settle, but I was able to do shorter runs again. I had to do a lot of mindset work to accept progress over perfection. I was hopeful that by race day things would be back to normal.

Then, six days before the race…I was hit with severe food poisoning. I had an old empanada (Colombian snack) in my freezer and fancied it one night. After an hour or so of eating it, I couldn't stop vomiting.

This started on Monday night (the race was the Sunday of that week). I couldn't believe it. Food poisoning? I was finished! I was meant to be carb-loading and doing gentle runs that week in preparation for the race. Instead, I was in bed, barely unable to move, with a bucket by my side, and feeling totally sorry for myself.

I felt utter despair. I couldn't bear the thought of letting down the charity I was supporting, of letting down all the people that had so generously donated to the cause, all my supporters, and myself. It felt like it would be a complete failure on my part if I wasn't able to race.

I rested as much as I could and couldn't work at all that week. I didn't eat for around 4 days and stayed in bed. When I started attempting food again, my body rejected it. I vomited up until the day before the race. That evening, I was finally able to hold down some plain chicken and plan white rice, and I drank about 5 litres of rehydration fluids that day. I felt so weak and depleted.

I went to sleep really early and prayed I'd wake up feeling better.

And miraculously, I did! I woke up feeling almost back to my normal self. I still felt weak and dehydrated, but I felt well enough to get up and ready. I thought - I am doing this, even if I have to stop, I'm still going to show up.

The thought that gave me the most strength was the thought of the charity I was running for - I was running for people with severe spinal cord injury. In my mind, I kept repeating to myself: 'run for those who cannot' - remembering my 'why' gave me tremendous strength.

Next week I will tell you about the actual race and my overall reflections about how this whole experience rewired my mindset, reignited my self-belief, and how you can apply the same principles to your own transformation (no running required!).

I hope to see you next week :)

With strength and love,

Marcela 💛

💭 Quote of the week

'Our behaviours are a direct result of who we believe and perceive we are' — Marcela Aguirre

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Helping Brilliant Women Solopreneurs & Founders Gain the Know-How & Confidence to Build a Sustainable One-Person Business | ICF Certified Coach | Doctor | Ex-Military Officer | 1:1 | Group Coaching & Workshops | Speaker