Fast. Slow. Elite. Turtle.
RUNNER. I am part of a few different running communities on social media and I am seeing a lot of the "pace debate" and people questioning if they are a "real" runner because of the speed of their mile... I used to be one of them. The simple fact is, if you run, you ARE a runner. It does not matter if you run a 2 hour marathon or a 20 min mile, whether you run the whole race or if you walk/run the race, you ARE a runner. There are no tests to pass, or degrees to earn to show that you are "real" runner. Some people run for the joy of running, some like to run in organized races. Do not let anyone steal your joy of running by allowing you to question your accomplishments. You are out there for you. Yes, some runners are out there for the competition, and they amaze me. I am truly in awe of the speedsters that get out there and run like a gazelle with what appears to be no effort. However, I do not let the fact that they are gazelles take away from my accomplishment as a turtle. We still finish the same mileage. We are running the SAME race, just a different pace, one is not necessarily "right", they are just OURS. Mine is mine and theirs is theirs, and on the next race, we try to do better than before. I have seen posts that stated a 2:20 Half was slow... no, a 2:20 Half is GREAT! Everyone has goals, everyone has something they want to achieve, some want that coveted BQ (Boston Qualifier), some want to run a Half in under 2 hours, some want to run a Half in under 3 hours (THIS GIRL) and SOME just want to be able to WALK a mile. You never know who you could be inspiring with YOUR running!! I suppose the point of this blog is simply this, you never know the story of the person posting in social media. Try to remember where you came from and where you want to be. Remember that everyone, all of us, had to start by making the decision to lace up and get out there. It is not an easy thing to do, and sometimes it's an even harder thing to CONTINUE to do. You never know what is happening in someone's life, so be kind, be positive, and encourage each other because that is what we do. We are runners. Fast. Slow. Elite. Turtle. RUNNERS.
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March 4, 2017. This was the day I learned a very hard lesson, in a very tough way. I learned that training is something that HAS to be done, even if it's half-assed it's better than nothing. I have never been one to really train. I am hard headed and stubborn. I sign up for races months in advance and have all intentions of training, I even create training PLANS, but do not follow them. (I am AMAZING at creating a training plan!!) I still show up at packet pickup and get my bib and shirt, go to the race and line up at the starting line thinking, "I should have trained for this." This leads me back to March 4, 2017. There I was at the starting line of the Myrtle Beach Marathon... Ok, I was doing the Half Marathon, but there I was... those familiar thoughts running through my head.... I had done a 10K a few weeks before and was ok, no cramps, no blisters, mildly sore... thought I was ok for this. My friend Susan from Charlotte was there to do the Half with me too, and my BRB Toria was there cheering us on as she is dealing with/suffering through, an injury that has her out of commission for a bit. I felt ok, just wishing I had trained more, as usual. Canon goes off, yes really, pretty awesome, and off we go!! I start running, feeling pretty good, and I decided to run until I needed a breather... I managed a quarter mile, not bad for no training. Started walking and my friend Susan passed me, made sure I was ok, guess I was already looking like a hot mess. So I watch her red flower on the back of her hat and pink (AWESOME PINK TEAM RWB SHIRT) start disappearing in the mass ahead of me and I think way to go girl!! So I'm moving along, enjoying the sites, listening to my music, walking some, running some... about mile two, I catch back up to Susan. This was really no easy task, she is taller than I am, as are most people, so her stride is longer and she walks faster than I do, I stayed with her, or rather, she stayed with me the rest of the race. She made me faster without meaning to and I'm glad she did, helped end the misery at a more rapid clip! So we are moving along, passing donut places, smelling bacon, and just trying to have as much fun as possible, when I start REAAALY feeling it. My legs were dying, really dying. My quads were shaking, my feet were hurting and I was miserable. I am so thankful for Susan, for keeping me company and for not killing me! Oh, and did I mention it was cold.... and windy. Yes, that too. When we hit about the 10th (?) mile the wind hit us in the face, until about mile 13. (BTW, not at all related to this story, but if you move your fingers wrong on the keyboard, mile become nuke.. how ironic!!) SO! There we are, both in our own little hell, trying to encourage each other, she said she would even drag me across the finish by my ponytail! Gotta love your friends!!! Then FINALLY, we finish, we run across the finish and get our medals and our bottle of water and we did it !!! YAY US!! Toria was there yelling for us! IT WAS GREAT!! I could barely walk, everything hurt and I felt like I was dying, but I did it!!
Now, as I said, lessons were learned in from this race. I have to start training. I got a blister, never happened before, I couldn't move like I had run a full and not the half, I had a pain behind my knee that scared the bejezus out of me, luckily it went away after a day. There was more hurt that happy in this one, however, one of the bigger lessons is that it is always great to have friends with you at a run, whether running or walking beside you, or waiting at the finish, because sometimes, you may need them to be willing to drag you across by your ponytail!!! |
AuthorThis is the story of me... a Back of the Pack runner that started this journey a few years ago then lost her way. I am starting over and you are invited along for the ride! The highs, lows, wins and lessons, and most likely some venting!! Welcome!! Archives
May 2017
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