I ran a lackluster 5K today results-wise, but it's one I've done every year since 2008 and it's kind of become a tradition for my husband and me, and it's a lot of fun, regardless of the time. It was already in the mid-80s and humid as all get out at start time, and it's hilly, and I can think of a million excuses for why it was about a minute slower than what I thought I was capable of at this point in my training. But, the only person who really cares is me, and it's time to get over it and move on. Besides, I'm not training for a 5K...I'm training for the Detroit Marathon and I have a lot of work to do.
Anyway, I was exchanging texts with my coach about it afterward and lamented about how it's not as easy as it used to be -- it being running the times I was running about 6-7 years ago, and even further back, when I ran with abandon and no concept of limits. His response: If you want it, get after it.
I'll tell you what: that statement slapped me upside the head. My head has become my worst enemy in recent years, after injuries and challenges that have sometimes seemed like they're reversing my progress. And most of the time, where I fall short is when I have the opportunity to make a choice about truly "getting after it." I've eased up on workouts at paces I didn't think I could handle without even giving them a chance, and I've cut the number of reps short for fear of injury; I've raced and stayed in "places" I thought I belonged because I lacked the confidence to maybe go around someone I'd gotten used to finishing behind.
Injuries and a couple of "down" years can really mess with your confidence and create doubt. My best times came when I didn't think about times, paces or places and just ran hard. It's so simple but I think the biggest challenge for me has been getting over the initial disappoint and realization that I'm not there anymore at this moment. I think I've gotten too caught up in focusing on that, though, and not just forging ahead 100 percent toward a goal really getting after what I want.
It's high time I stop doubting and start dreaming again and not thinking, but just doing.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
New Beginnings
Wooo-eeee...it has been a LONG time since I updated this! So, what have I been up to...hmm. Not much. Well, actually, I've run a couple marathons since I last updated this, but not as many as planned. Had a massive elbow injury in 2009 that required surgery. Had a couple of stress fractures, got mono, couple other setbacks...that's it on the injury front! Now for the good stuff!
I got married earlier in the summer -- DEFINITELY a highlight of my life, as it should be. Life's been chugging along real well over the past five years for sure, since I last updated this. On the running front, I recently took a chance on an opportunity I would have never imagined I'd have just a few months ago. I now run for the Oiselle Volee team, a group of women across the country representing Oiselle, my favorite women's running clothing company and all that it stands for. Just check out the team manifesto. I am so honored and excited to be among those chosen to help represent Oiselle and carry out its values.
I'll be honest -- my running has been very up and down since 2007 and I've wrestled with the question, why do I run? As mentioned in earlier entries, I had a pretty major injury in 2007 that was a turning point for my life. Prior to the injury and the very long layoff that followed it, distance running came pretty easy. I put in the work, and the improvements followed like a perfect trajectory. I qualified for Boston on my second try. I chopped off chunks of time and, frankly, took it for granted.
Unfortuantely, I also took my health for granted, and didn't treat my body well. I wasn't kind to it and continued to push it despite nagging injuries and a tank always close to "E." When I got injured, I had to re-evaluate everything, and I've been working on this transformation ever since.
Today, I don't run for PRs that are "just around the corner." I have hopes that I can get back to PR shape someday, but it's no longer with the "at all costs" mentality. I sacrificed a lot back then and lived a life always teetering out of balance. I'm a happier person now, and while my most recent marathon was about 31 minutes slower than my PR, it was among my most joyful -- and the way I plan to continue to run. I now run for health, camraderie and because I simply can't imagine not doing it. Nothing beats the feeling of pushing yourself just a little more than you thought you could -- no matter how fast or slow it is in relation to where you may have once been.
During one of my injury layoffs, I remember saying, "I'll never complain or take a run for granted again." I can't say I've held true to this, but I'm a lot more cognizant of it these days, and thankful! I can't wait to carry this out as part of the Oiselle team. I'm thankful for the past, but looking to the future, and so glad I get to take flight with the rest of the birds!
I got married earlier in the summer -- DEFINITELY a highlight of my life, as it should be. Life's been chugging along real well over the past five years for sure, since I last updated this. On the running front, I recently took a chance on an opportunity I would have never imagined I'd have just a few months ago. I now run for the Oiselle Volee team, a group of women across the country representing Oiselle, my favorite women's running clothing company and all that it stands for. Just check out the team manifesto. I am so honored and excited to be among those chosen to help represent Oiselle and carry out its values.
I'll be honest -- my running has been very up and down since 2007 and I've wrestled with the question, why do I run? As mentioned in earlier entries, I had a pretty major injury in 2007 that was a turning point for my life. Prior to the injury and the very long layoff that followed it, distance running came pretty easy. I put in the work, and the improvements followed like a perfect trajectory. I qualified for Boston on my second try. I chopped off chunks of time and, frankly, took it for granted.
Unfortuantely, I also took my health for granted, and didn't treat my body well. I wasn't kind to it and continued to push it despite nagging injuries and a tank always close to "E." When I got injured, I had to re-evaluate everything, and I've been working on this transformation ever since.
Today, I don't run for PRs that are "just around the corner." I have hopes that I can get back to PR shape someday, but it's no longer with the "at all costs" mentality. I sacrificed a lot back then and lived a life always teetering out of balance. I'm a happier person now, and while my most recent marathon was about 31 minutes slower than my PR, it was among my most joyful -- and the way I plan to continue to run. I now run for health, camraderie and because I simply can't imagine not doing it. Nothing beats the feeling of pushing yourself just a little more than you thought you could -- no matter how fast or slow it is in relation to where you may have once been.
During one of my injury layoffs, I remember saying, "I'll never complain or take a run for granted again." I can't say I've held true to this, but I'm a lot more cognizant of it these days, and thankful! I can't wait to carry this out as part of the Oiselle team. I'm thankful for the past, but looking to the future, and so glad I get to take flight with the rest of the birds!
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