Running - Doing it My Way

The comparison game is a bunch of crock.

I think we've all played it to some extent (at least I know I have). We've played this stupid game as women, as moms, as friends, as community volunteers, as wives, and as athletes. It does us no good. And, quite frankly, I'm done with it.

 Enter the genre of running and it can get especially tricky. It's really quite ridiculous, after all, to compare one's running abilities, objectives or standards to those of others. After all, we have different genetic makeup, varying degrees of "free" time (for training), and we all are driven by different stimuli.

I have long contemplated where I fit in within the sport of running, and I have tried to be a "real runner." It's only in recent years that I finally realized we all define "real runner" by our own individual goals and aspirations. And, finally, in recent years, I have achieved true contentment with MY running.

Here are some of MY key running "things" that I have made peace with (and some of these are in sharp contrast to what I see on social media):

Low mileage is my gig. Simply put, high mileage does not work for me.  Indeed, it is a nice surprise when the big numbers happen all on their own, especially when I haven't risked injury to experience those very miles. I just know for me, though, I do much better with low mileage. I don't know if I'm just blessed with a body that does not need excessive mileage to prepare for a race, or if I'm just injury-prone (and suffer if I run too much). I do know that the few times I have tried high-mileage training for a big race, I have toed the start line in an already injured state from over-training, and those big races were near disasters.

I'm not PR driven. Of course, I love a shiny, new PR as much as the next person. Having run for 14 years,  though, the newness of the sport has worn off and (up until this past year) I had been riding a long-standing plateau. Please, don't feel sorry for me. I had not necessarily gotten slower, but it had gotten increasingly more difficult to run "faster" without putting in a lot more hard work than when I had first started. I respect that some runners thrive on that kind of a conquest, but I was able to move beyond that. Despite my recent successes, I simply don't need those PR's to validate myself as a legit runner anymore (but I do welcome them, with open arms, on the rare days when all the stars, moons, and planets align).

I do not have gadget OCD. I seldom wear my watch for training runs (unless I'm actually trying to hit specific paces for speed drills). I am very familiar with the routes I run, and my pace is pretty consistent (another byproduct of 14+ years of running)...I can head out on a 3-mile route and run it with an approximate 8:45 pace without really thinking about it. I can also run an easy-paced  #5at5 (five miles at 05:00) in a near-perfect 50:05 minutes. So what if I'm not exact on my splits? Maybe I'd rather enjoy the scenery instead of focusing on the stats on my wrist.

I do not obsess over the stats of others. It's not that I'm envious (well, not much LOL), but I seldom look at the pace/miles/distance stamped across the selfies on social media. Again, it's the comparison thing. I realize some are motivated and inspired by seeing how far other runners are running and exactly how fast (or slow?) they're doing it.....but why? Are they running the exact same route as you? Did they get as little (or as much) sleep as you did the night before? Is their weather as hot (or cold) as yours? Are they the same height as you, with the exact same stride length? Are they following the same training plan?

I prefer my long runs to be on Saturdays. That's right, I'm one of the few that does not do the Sunday-Runday thing. I do short, shakeout runs (frequently) on Sunday, but I prefer to do the bulk of my weekend running on Saturday and have Sunday as my focused "day of rest."

I love doing races of all distances instead of focusing on one specific goal race. What can I say? Variety is the spice of my running life. Maybe that's why I went a long time without any new PR's happening  - because I wasn't actually training for them (LOL). One time, I had a friend tell me that if they were gonna spend the money on a race, they were gonna "make it worthwhile" and run that race hard. Hmmmm. I'd rather focus on the race experience itself and not so much on my finish time. Bottom line, neither of us were wasting our money; we simply both had very different goals.

So, there you go...just some random thoughts on this journey of mine in my running shoes. One thing that sets the sport of running apart from others is that we all get to do it OUR way. Sure, many of us train with friends, and compete (in a friendly manner) among one another...but most of us have our own preferences and unique abilities. Instead of idolizing the achievements of others, why not celebrate your own accomplishments?

Talk to me...Have  you ever found yourself trapped in the comparison game? Have you ever tried to follow another runner's customized training plan, but had disastrous results? Low mileage or high mileage? What's your race day preference - fast racing or enjoying-the-moment running?

**This is an updated edition of a previous post (I'm Content, published February 2018)**

I'm linking this with Meranda and Lacey for the Friday with Fairytales and Fitness link-up. 

 

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