My cup of tea is not everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, trivial to the post I don’t drink tea, just coffee.
It’s no secret I haven’t been training like when I set my half marathon PR in February. After February, I trained and ran, but I know myself well that I’m good for a couple of PRs (if I’m lucky) a year.
April, May, and now most of June has gone around, and here we are. I want to consistently run and train again, something I rarely do over the summer. It’s hot and humid, but I want to spend all of my time outside.
Like when I set my 5k PR over two years ago, I plan to do a lot of 5ks on weekends. This is what led to my 18:13 a couple of years ago. I don’t think I was quite there in February but did run 18:29 at the Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k in March.
Many people have asked:
Why race so much? Why spend so much money on running road races?
I’ve talked about this before but I don’t have kids, and my husband and I don’t spend a lot of useless junk. I prefer experiences or good food, versus an expensive piece of clothing or whatever. In fact, my New Year Resolution was not to buy any new nonrunning clothing. So far so good.
Won’t You Get Injured?
I would like to hope not but I take at least 1, sometimes 2 days off per week. I either cross train (it’s been hiking recently) or don’t do anything.
I also take my easy runs, extremely easy. I could run 8 minute miles (extremely unlikely) or 12-minute miles, but I keep it easy and by effort. I mentioned last week I had a Garmin Vivosport which I put in timer mode. I usually run for X amount of minutes or on a route I already know the distance (then I don’t time it).
It’s Also Important to Remember a Few Things:
You’re not going to progressively get faster:
As I know and have experienced many times with racing frequently, you won’t get faster every single time you race. You shouldn’t expect too! Progress is not linear with anything. Last week I ran a 20:06 5k. It’s a great base and who knows, next 5k might be slower but I know I’m putting in the effort, miles, and consistency. A few years ago, I ran a 19:10 5k in one I was hoping to PR.
Remember, at the end of the day, “it’s just running.” You will be the same person whether you logged a PR or didn’t.
Races are Hard:
If you are like me, you know you can push yourself harder at races. If I do a workout alone, it usually feels harder and more of a challenge. Running a race as a workout, allows me to push myself harder than I would alone. I usually have to watch out for mentally burning myself out from overracing.
Racing with Friends:
Since I work at a running store, I do appreciate being able to see friends or people I’ve helped in achieving their goals. It’s great to run with friends at local races and support a local cause.
Progress is Measurable:
There are many factors with a race, but you are able to see if you are progressing or not.
I like the ability to see that progress.
The Experience of Racing:
I don’t get nervous before big races. Sure I get the butterflies but I don’t nervous to fail because I know both good and bad races come with the territory. Not every race will be the best ever, but it’s those not great races that make the good ones feel…good! I know my family and friends still care about me whether I PR or not. The experience of toeing the line frequently has taught me that.
Questions for you:
Do you race often? Do you prefer too?
I used to race a lot but I have cut back. However, it is so hot this summer. I decided to sign up for a few races to keep me in check. I agree that races are just less work. I go for a workout and it is hard to judge the effort. Then i race and it’s much easier. A few weeks ago I did a race and got back down to 1:44…which isn’t a pr but I haven’t been there in a few years…I have been running a half about once a month… but I agree… easy days need to be easy. My rule is one day but I took two after my last half ! Also, I never do more than two workouts a week… but usually I do one
I don’t like to race very often. I like to pick a few key races a year to focus on and build up my training for that specific goal. Like you mentioned, I can always run harder in a race than I can on my own…but for me it has a negative side effect that I need a lot more recovery after a race. All of my running injuries have been from jumping back into hard training too quickly after a race.
It just goes to show that what works for one runner isn’t going to work for everyone 🙂
I need to do a race! I haven’t raced in seven years since getting knocked over by an SUV:( I need to try it!