I think it has helped me mentally with running since I officially registered for my big race next June. It has made me refocuse my efforts on improving, even if I'm not logging long distances very often.
Last Friday, I ran a 5k- just to make sure I could still do the distance- and though it was much slower than I would have liked (42ish mins), I did it and felt good after. Today- I ran 1.89 miles in 21:30, a roughly 11:23mm pace. I'm very pleased with that. I would have run farther but I was in a slight time crunch and that's all I had time for. Not to mention the rain that I barely missed. I don't mind running in rain, but this was a COLD rain - we went from about 65 degrees to 46 by the time the rain ended.
I have a 5k race coming up on November 6. I'm looking forward to doing a race again. This will be my 6th this year (I feel like I'm forgetting one, but it's not coming to mind. . .)
Emily, as I look back when I first started running, about 3 1/2 years ago, one of the early mistakes I made was thinking I could improve dramatically, and quickly with extra hard training and work. It didn't really happen for me. After my 3rd or 4th 5K, when I nearly passed out, and then nearly puked at the finish line, I realized I didn't need to push myself quite so hard. Maybe that makes me a wimp, but I think it has enabled me to stick with it for the long haul and enjoy the ride. So for me, I continue to try and improve, and even run longer, but I know improved times will come in multiple seconds, not minutes. And I know also, comparing my times to others will usually depress me, so I try as best I can to compete against myself. Again, maybe that's wimpy...but it keeps me enthused about hitting the road each week, and I think that's much more important than winning medals. So above all, I hope you continue to enjoy the running, for the running! Have you checked out Dailymile.com? It's a neat social media for runners/bikers/athletes. You can post your runs, keep a log, and get encouragement from all talents and levels of runners.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTim- thanks for stopping by and commenting. I definitely hear your point- and I don't typically push super hard- my training schedule (and pace) is very realistic for me. I train with either a GPS watch or my Nike+ to track my runs and watch my pace improvements. If you have a chance- please read my "Why I Run" post- it's what keeps me coming back to running.
ReplyDeleteAs I added in strength training this summer, my body naturally wants to go faster, but I'm in the process of catching my lungs up to that pace -so while my legs can comfortably run/maintain a sub-10mm, my lungs are more comfortable around 11:30-12mm pace.
I love running- and while I don't have the desire to be a marathoner at the moment, not even a half-marathoner. . .but I love the 5k distance because it allows me to work on pace and habit more than anything. Plus, I have my Ragnar Relays to feed my "extreme athlete" inside. :)
sorry for the really long reply- I really appreciate your comment!
I think it's awesome how many races you're doing! We have one on Halloween and it'll just be my 3rd this year. But I do have a 4th race planned for 12/5, and that's the biggie (half marathon...yikes.)
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that you don't push yourself too hard. I'm actually transitioning into training LESS because my body was not handling all the miles well. I took a run off this week, and that was a very good thing. Today I was able to make up a bit of the mileage (but not all of it) with a longer run, and I felt great.