So, you might have noticed that I haven’t really been running much. Normally, at this time of year, I’m heavily into half-marathon training. Last year, I ran the Rocktoberfest Half Marathon in Charlotte, NC and before that, I ran the Silver Comet Half Marathon for several years in a row.
There’s no real reason that I’m not training for a fall half except that I don’t want to. Typically, when I run a half-marathon, for a couple of weeks after I never want to see my running shoes again. And then the desire to run comes back and I sign up for another race. That’s how it’s been year after year until this year. That desire to run just never came back this time. Well, that’s not entirely true; the desire to run 13.1 miles, or really to train for it, is what didn’t come back.
Truth is, I hate running in the summertime. I don’t like getting up at the crack of dawn to get the miles in before it gets too hot. I don’t like waiting in line for the treadmill at the gym and then feeling like I have to get off after 20 minutes because people are waiting since it’s too hot to run outside. I could tell you a million things that i don’t like, but there’s still something that i do like and that’s running. I’m contradicting myself, I know.
My first half-marathon was in 2005. So in the past seven years, I somehow went from “casual runner who runs on the treadmill to stay fit and does a couple races for fun” to “My life revolves around getting the miles in. I need to get faster. I need to PR.” And when you’re not a particularly fast runner (let’s face it; I’m not), that’s a stressful mind frame to be in for years upon years.
Really I never was the casual, running for cardio type. I decided to become a distance runner when I could only run 3 or 4 miles at a time. I read about people who ran distances (for argument sake, let’s say distance is more than 9-10 miles) and wanted that to be me. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. And I proved it. I proved it time and time again. I kept proving it and at some point, I stopped enjoying it.
So what I’ve been doing without really realizing it is becoming that runner that I never was. The casual jogger that goes running to blow off steam (or to burn off ice cream) not to get the miles in.
Jason and I signed up for a 5K in a month. It’s one that I’ve done in the past and enjoyed it. But instead of filing my days with tempo runs and speedwork to train, I’m simply going to run.
Girl, I am so with you on this. Ditto to every single word. Everyone keeps asking me if I’m training for something and I have to go through this long explanation of how I ran two marathons last year (because I feel the need to defend my choice to not be training for something) and how I really got burned out for months and months of any kind of exercise and now I’m just doing what I feel like, which means running casually. I don’t know why I feel that ever inquiry deserves such a long response but a part of me thinks it’s because I feel lazy to not have a “goal” to work towards like I usually do. My goal has been revised to “just like exercising again”. And for now, that’s good enough for me.
P.S. If I join my husband on a business trip to Atlanta in the near future, would you be up for lunch/dinner/a run?
Definitely. Let me know if you are in town.
YES!!! I love this post! I am so that girl! I actually have learned to love the 5k miles and that is it. I told Tony if I never ran more than that, I would be completely happy. Just call me the queen of 5ks. I think it’s great that you are just enjoying yourself. That really is what it’s all about!
I don’t like you not running because then we don’t have races to run together.
Seriously though, let’s find something!!
Oh…I know it’s farther away but I’m hoping to do the Hot Chocolate race in January.
The 5K that we signed up for is the Romp & Stomp on 11/3 in Cabbagetown. Can you do that one?
Nothing says you have to keep running the long distances just because you have in the past. Find what’s fun and maybe a friend to train with you. I’ve heard good things about the Hot Chocolate race Tina mentioned above.
That’s great! That’s why I did it too, to prove it to myself. But after the third one, I was just kind of over it. I’ve never really enjoyed running though. I wish I did.
I really dig that you’ve found your groove as a runner — that you’re finally running for the right reason: it makes you happy. IT doesn’t stress you out or cause you to put undo pressure on yourself to be someone you’re not. You’re the runner you always wanted to be and that my friend, is pretty awesome to see.
I think you’ve got the best attitude about running I’ve ever seen. I kinda hate the pressure that a race puts on you as well and feel like it takes the fun out of running sometimes. But I wonder if I’d run as much without the obligation of a race holding it over my head. I don’t know what the best balance is because I’m pretty lazy naturally, so I can’t really see myself voluntarily going out and doing more than 5 or 6 miles without a training plan to stick to.
Simply going to run. Amen sister
Glad to hear it. Good luck!
After a running injury a few years ago, I decided to stop training for events and just run for fun when I felt like it. Everyone kept asking me at work what I was training for, etc or ask why I wasn’t running during my lunch time…it kind of bummed me out but I think running should be fun and not a drag or an obligation. Do it when you feel love for it again!
I love this post. I considered myself somewhat of a runner, pre-pregnancy, but I stopped running really early in the pregnancy, and assumed that the desire to run would come back after I had Lila. Well, it didn’t. There’s a fall 1/2 marathon in Shreveport that I’ve run for the past three years (excluding when I was pregnant), and I definitely thought I’d be running it again this year. But, when I thought about actually putting the time into training and ALL the running, I realized– I just didn’t want to. So I’m not.
Go with what YOU want to do– you don’t have to prove yourself (as a runner or otherwise) to anybody else.