Nick made a pun. At least for distance runners.
Get it? Distance makes the heart grow fonder...
As in, the more I run, the more I enjoy running.
Anyway, it made me think about my running. And we have a blog, so I guess I'll write it down.
This past indoor season I placed intense pressure on myself to perform: I had invested too much energy and time to waste opportunities. I had to fucking kill this race. I had to prove my training to myself. I had to break through that next wall. I needed to suck up more pain. Grit my teeth harder. Swing my arms faster. Drive my knees higher. Make more disturbing, anguished faces.
But then, that's all bullshit. I didn't train so that I could break 1:59. If I did, what do I do after I broke/break it? And I don't train so that I can break 1:50, because then I'd never be happy. And running for that 1:59 made me quit on races, sunk me into a funk, and never fulfilled me. I came back happier after a 9mile run that turned into an uptempo a few days ago than after I finally split 1:59! (All I could think was, I should have run 1:58... )
And all those ways I went into workouts and races were just godamn stupid. Gritting my teethe will not get me to the line faster. Fighting the pain has only made me forget to race, or stay smooth, or stay fast. It's only ruined my running economy, fucked up my stride, and killed the last 150m of my race. And making funny faces just isn't aerodynamic or aesthetically pleasing.
Yeah, I am training to be fast. But I think I find more joy in my running simply by being fit and knowing that I am damn fit. And I think redefining my goals has lead me to relax and train a bit better, will lead me to race a bit faster, and has already made me enjoy the whole experience a bit more.
Distance makes my heart grow fonder, because there's nothing I love more than a good, long progression run that is farther than the last one and faster than before and feels easier than I used to think possible. The fitter I get, the happier I am. And when the leaves start to fall, and I'm on the line, I'll relax: Instead of being crushed by the responsibility of all the miles I've logged, clawing for that 28:00 or 27:30 or 27:00 I've been spending so much time preparing for, I'll be comforted by the distance I've run to get there, ready to run with whatever fitness I have earned.
Celebrate ...!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
corey, i think thats a very good realization to come to, one that i had earlier this year as well.
ReplyDeletei used to think the more i focused a race during the event, the better i would run. at the 5k at northeastern though (i think you guys all remember that race, it was when you were all hiding out in the bus from the rain during the 5k. yeah now i remember.) i finally tried not worrying about running specific splits to the tenth of a second and just having fun. i remember thinking at the beginning of every lap when i could see those woods "ok cool, another one down. im just out for a jog in the woods with jesse and avery bouchard and we're going 4:50 pace. NBD." that was the best race ive ever run. it was sort of the same thing at Opens outdoors. first quarter in 61? cool. first 800 in 2:06? not bad i guess. i should start running faster now. all that focusing on the racing before just made me more concious that what i was doing was HARD or at least it was supposed to be hard, which led my mind to believe that it was hard, which led my legs to feel very very bad. if you dont think its hard, or if you dont think its supposed to be hard, it wont be. if anyone needed an explanation for all those absurd tempo runs out at long lakes, there you go. long lakes isnt short. blaney really ran 28:20. Tips really ran 29:00. sure its flat, but what really makes us run fast is the relaxation that comes from thinking "alright im just out here doing my thing. no ones watching, this isnt supposed to be THAT hard, im at peace with my stride." on the contrary, all those time you, me, every one falls apart in the last 150 meters of a race, i guarantee you a lot of that is "OMG IM RACING THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE HURTING IM GOING SO FAST OMG HIT THE WALL RIG HELLA LACTATE!" ditch that, and you'll ditch the 22 second last 100. want to know why jesse closes so fast? he doesnt think its supposed to be hard. he knows no one is as fast as he is. sure theyre probably just as fit, theres a VERY good chance theyve run better workouts, but they probably know and think enough about running to know that kicking is supposed to be hard, so it suddenly becomes really hard when you think it should be.
ok im cross eyed. you catch my MF drift.