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| Running with my daughter for her first 5k this summer brought new meaning to RUN HAPPY , the very fitting for running slogan for Brooks Running! |
As I made my way around my favorite dirt path for my easy 5 miles this morning, I thought a lot about where I'm at with running. I kept coming back to the question that my friend Raina, from Small Town Runner asked this morning:
"Could you be content with all of your PRs as they are, never to do speed work again-- if it meant you could run injury free for the rest of your life?"
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| One of the happiest 10ks I've run, The Best Dam Run. A minute off of a PR but I was still happy. And even better with friends Raina (second place woman that day) and Nicole. |
Good question Raina! Definitely one that got me thinking. A PR...Personal Record is why many of us train for a specific race. It's exciting to push ourselves to new levels of personal bests. It feels good to conquer new goals and see our times improving...our legs get faster...our paces easier. However, I think for many of us, it really isn't about the time on the clock anymore. It becomes more about finding our Personal Bests or Personal Records with running in other ways. That's where I'm at right now. My answer to Raina's question at this moment in time (not saying it won't change in a few months from now) is:
YES, I could most definitely be content with all of my PRs (time-wise) as they are, never do speed work again (even though I probably will during my Boston training) if it meant that I could run injury free for the rest of my life. YES!
Would my answer have been YES many years ago? I don't know. Doubt it. In fact, I never had my first real injury until an accident where I tripped over a rock in the forest in 2010 and tore my hamstring completely. This was right after I decided to train for something again after having my babies. Even during my eight years of competitive running in high school and college...No injuries. After that 2010 injury, I've had many. And after my last few attempts at PRs in the marathon, I've kind of come to a point in my almost 35 years of living where I'm truly just content running easier and training more for the JOY of running than chasing any big numbers on the clock.
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| Rock n' Roll Portland last year was far from a half marathon PR (right after Boston 2012) but I felt so happy running it for a workout and keeping it easier. When I see this picture, I'm even more set in my answer to the question above. YES, bring the running for the rest of my life over a PR any day! |
When I first started training for something again after having kids, it was hard not to let my Personal Records from high school and college hang over my head. Whether I was intentional about focusing on them or not, they were always there in the back of my head saying "Okay, here's the bar. Let's see what you've got now." I let them define me as a runner instead of seeing that I was most definitely at a different place in my life.
- Will I ever run a 5:2x-5:30 mile again? Hmm, probably not unless a bear was chasing me.
- Do I ever want to run a 2:2x 800 meters again? Um, no thanks. Why? Could I? Probably not a chance.
- Will I finally run a 19:xx 5k and redeem myself from that 20:01 just a couple years ago? Yes, I think this is likely if I can get over my fear of racing.
- Will I get to taste a PR in the marathon and finally run a sub 3:20? Gosh, that would certainly be nice wouldn't it? And very possible. If it happens, great! But if it doesn't and I can honestly say that I trained with JOY and Balance, then I'm content running whatever my legs give me on race day. These legs of mine have many years of hard mileage on them and they might just be telling me that they're not going to move as fast as they once did. That's ok.
For now, as I start building a base for my Boston training, I'm set on making some new Personal Bests. But I'll be taking those personal bests in:
- Running strong and happy (this might very well mean slowing down with times)
- Staying healthy (mind, body, spirit)
- Not letting training take over too much of my life (I have a tendency to be a bit obsessive about things sometimes) to where my balance pie has too many of the running/training slices and other much more important things take a hit.
- Getting over my fear of competing with myself in races. This alone will bring more JOY to my training.
As far as Running Happy and Training/Living with Joy? Well, if I need any reminders of how to do that, all I have to do is watch how my kids live life. They are just happy to be alive and they so easily find JOY in the simplest of things. I'm so thankful to have this time being their mother.
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| Her Joy is contagious! |
Here's to personal bests (whatever that means for us), running happy, and finding joy in living and training!
What about you...how would you answer Raina's question:
"Could you be content with all of your PRs as they are, never to do speed work again-- if it meant you could run injury free for the rest of your life?"
Amanda
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If a bear was chasing me... I could run very very fast, but not sure I would enjoy any of it! :)
ReplyDeleteLooking at your face in the RnR race makes me SMILE. I had an entry to that and was too bent on racing for PR's only to take advantage of it.. that and I wound up hurt. We could have had fun together.
Happy to read you are enjoying your 5 miles. I love your personal running goals-- very rich.
I hope you are finding all sorts of joy today, friend. :)
I take it back. Even if a bear was chasing me...I couldn't run a 5:3x mile anymore. nope. I'd get eaten. Darn! Thanks for the inspiration Raina. Definitely found plenty of Joy today. I keep thinking of one of your last comments where you mentioned jumping on the Joy or happy train and holding on. I'm with you girl!
DeleteThis is such a great question and I would say emphatically YES! At my age (48 tomorrow!) it really is just about running healthy for the rest of my life. I think this is why I am ok with the fact that I may not be toeing the line in Richmond in 2 weeks…I'd love to PR, of course, but I'd love not being injured even more. I can certainly understand, however, how someone younger than me might choose otherwise. Glad you are in such a great place with your running and I KNOW you still have loads of PRs in you!
ReplyDeleteSo good to hear from you Amanda. And thanks for your confidence in thinking I have some PRs in me...I value your opinion when it comes to this sort of stuff for sure! Sounds like you are in a really good place with running and life. I'm hoping that you WILL be toeing that line in Richmond! But so glad you are at peace with whatever happens...you've had such a strong training season and it has been fun to watch.
DeleteI too am running for health for the rest of my life. I'm slow and probably never will be fast, but I'm ok with that. I just buy my ownself a prize after each race :P
ReplyDeleteYes! Slow doesn't matter if you're doing what you love. And Yes, definitely self-reward after the race!
DeleteThis is a great question from Raina and I love reading your thought process here, Amanda! Timing is everything for me as far as answering this question. I know I have PR's in me for every distance shorter than the marathon and I also believe I could run another marathon PR, given that my PR marathon race never felt that "hard". I was hoping to chase those shorter distance PR's this fall and go for another marathon PR at Boston until...injury happened! The cartilage issue I'm having with my knee is a permanent injury and at this point, I'm not sure how much I will ever run again. So right now, YES, absolutely I would give up all future PR's in order to run healthy for the rest of my life. I miss running SO MUCH and for SO MANY reasons. The line from the song that goes "you don't know what you got, 'til it's gone..." applies to me and my love for running.
ReplyDeleteI was able to run one mile on Friday and it was the most glorious mile I could ever remember running!
I have a feeling that you will no doubt find a say to run happy AND set PR's at the same time. :) xo
Hi my sweet friend. Been thinking a lot about you with this. I can feel you here and I know how joyful running is and how awful it is to not have it when you want/need it. I can't imagine how it must feel for you to know that this will be a permanent injury and running might never be the same. You are so obviously a gifted runner Kristen and I hope there will be a way that you can get this back. HOld on to that one glorious mile on Friday and focus on that feeling. Big big hug to you. And thank you for your words as always. Nice to know people believe that there are some PRs left in these legs.
DeleteOk. I have some thoughts on this blog post, which I will revisit later, BUT... I would love for you to post on fear of racing. I think I have it. I'm not afraid to toe the line and give it my mediocre best, but I'm talking about fear of really putting it out there, guts/balls to the wall. Yeah, I'm scared of that, and I'd LOVE to read your thoughts on it...
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca. I will think more on this. This has been a big issue with me for all of my years racing. I don't think it is too uncommon but with me, I'd be physically sick for most of the week with nerves and fear. College and High school meant racing every weekend so really, Saturday night (after the races) until Monday I'd feel a sense of peace but then Tuesday through Friday I'd just be sick. This went on for 8 years. I'm not sure why I was such a little head case...so so much fear. Even in track workouts that I knew would be really hard and my coach expected a lot from me, I'd throw up in the trash can (NOT self induced...ha!). After college I spent 3 years never wanting to even think about another race. Then I raced my first marathon in 2004 for fun, pressure free, no expectations, and no knowledge of marathon times...3:22 never felt so fun! Now I'm still kind of a little weird when it comes to racing...ESPECIALLY the 5k and 10k. like I avoid it at all costs. Goal is to push through that this year. We shall see. I do know that I've never really felt what it feels like to go all out, balls to the walls, give it all you got....I don't know what that's like.
DeleteDitto ditto ditto! The only difference was, I didn't throw up, but I would cry. Yep, I remember in college, sitting on the bus on the way to the meet (the day before) crying. There have been many times in my past that I've given it my all, but it seems that the longer I've worked towards certain goals, like Sub 3, my mind won't let my body go there anymore. :(
DeleteWasn't that a thought-provoking question? For me, the answer's yes. I'm just tired of injury and want my quiet morning runs in the park back.
ReplyDeleteYep - I'm to the point where I'm just happy to run. I don't know if I will ever truly race (not just run in a race but actually compete!) again because of injuries and I'm totally OK with that!!
ReplyDeleteThere's every chance that I'll have to be content with my PRs, given my age and I'm fine with that. I've achieved much more than I ever thought I would in running.Just running, without worry about speed, can definitely be enough.
ReplyDeleteI'd choose injury free running, too. It's just so much fun to run!
ReplyDelete