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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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