Angela

Sisu

Monday I went for a run along the seacoast. It was an absolutely beautiful morning. Blue skies and sunshine that made the calm ocean waters sparkle like diamonds.

It was a good day. And a good run.

I even had a sign.

One of the things I like about running is that I get to see so much. I watch people, look at houses, notice the cars, motorcycles, the grass, trees.

As I was running along, pushing at tempo pace on Monday, a car passed me. I noticed the license plate. It said SISU. About 30 minutes later, I saw another car with a bumper sticker that said the same thing – SISU.

I grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Way, way far north of Detroit. There’s a large population of Finnish descendants, my husbands family being one of them. Up there, you see the word SISU a lot and don’t think anything of it. A long time friend of the family even had a dog named Sisu.

But here, in New Hampshire, I’ve never seen or heard anyone speak of it.

And I just saw it twice in one day!

So what does Sisu mean? Truthfully, I didn’t really know what it meant. Ron thought the meaning was something similar to Finn Pride.

So I Googled it.

What I found was there really isn’t a proper translation of the word into any other language. It’s more of a quality someone holds.

Here’s how Urban Dictionary defines it (not sure how legit it is):

- a uniquely Finnish quality;
- the word used to typify the Finnish spirit;
- a concept that is at the heart of how all Finns view themselves;
- a certain feature or value considered by Finns to be typically Finnish
- endurance, resilience, tenacity, determination, perseverance
- an inner reserve of diligence, capacity, the ability to face head-on and always overcome
- craziness: the recklessness that inspires a person to take on something in the face of incredible odds
- bravery, empowerment, inner strength

Endurance, resilience, tenacity, determination, perseverance.

Hmmmm….those are all traits I rely on for training/running a marathon.

See the sign now?

On Monday, I wrote about how my focus and confidence are wavering in marathon training. From now on, I’m channeling my inner SISU. It’s time to find my inner strength to focus on the miles ahead of me.

The signs are all there.

Do you believe in signs?

Ever heard of Sisu?

The post Sisu appeared first on Happy Fit Mama.

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