I'm going to start this off by saying my intention isn't to blog each run. Sometimes I don't have much to say about it at all and it'd be pointless. I might do a weekly recap sometimes just so you all know what I'm up to. But I figured I'd address a comment left on last week's running post.
First, my post-run drink is a mashed banana mixed with chocolate milk powder, vanilla creamer, and filled with lemon-lime soda. It tastes pretty good.
Oh, and today's run was 4 miles. It wasn't anything pretty, though pacing wasn't too bad. I was considering not running today but after preparing a recipe for a product review (which you'll see tomorrow), I figured I might as well just do it. This is just my third week back so I'm keeping things simple. Hopefully a 9:30 minute per mile pace will quit feeling like crap and go back to being easy like it used to soon.
The question I was asked was, "Do you have any upcoming races?" My primary objective for racing is to become a better racer, to be competitive, and to push myself out of my comfort zone in the hopes of finishing in the top group of runners. The last one is a long-term goal. So when I look for races to run, I'm thinking about all those things, plus how I'll plan my training around them to race to my full potential. Since it costs money to enter races (and many races, as generous as they are with race packs and giveaways, are taking advantage of making money, but that's another topic), I try and carefully pick the races I want to race in as well as things like the course, scenery, etc. I don't always pick easy races because how good can you become if you're always taking the easy route? Literally. It's also the post race food, too.
So that's what I, personally, set out to do with races. If I had unlimited money, I probably would enter some races just for the sake of running them, but only if it wasn't painful. Right now, I'm just out of shape and any race I enter, be it to race competitively or just to have fun, wouldn't end up feeling very good either way. I think everyone has a different reason for entering races and while it's good to hear why other runners race, at the end of the day it's a very personal matter and you gotta do what feels right for yourself.
Now that I've said all that, feel free to tell me why you race or just like to run. =)
I like the simplicity of the task. Things are too complicated when we become adults and deal with bills, work, and everyday challenges. When I'm running, though, I only have to make it from point A to point B. The simplicity of the run clears my head and helps me put everything else into perspective. In life, we're not always sure what to do. When we're running a race (or just a training run), however, we always know exactly what to do. I find that refreshing.
ReplyDeleteJason - That's a great way to think of it. It's also a good perspective to have long after the race is over, too. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletei love your perspective! i definitely agree with you. and i now have a new restriction for races i run... they cannot be managed by reinke sports group! they're doing a series of 1/2 marathons in small-midsize markets and have a bad rep. i was supposed to do their race in west lafayette, IN but it got moved to flora, IN and it was a huge disaster. now i'm trying to get my money back from the credit card company. ugh. if you want more details i can share but i don't want to completely bash them publically.
ReplyDeleteUghhh totally know how you feel. After taking 8 months off due to an injury I hate how much every step hurts. but I just have to keep telling myself that it will get better. It has to, right? One step at a time..
ReplyDeleteI love to run for many reasons. Here are a few: stress reliver, only thing athletic I'm pretty good at, time to spend time with Jesus, burn calories=I eat a lot of ice cream, and just because I am blessed enough to do it.
ReplyDeletewhat an interesting post-run drink. i'll have to try sometime!
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