Wednesday, May 2, 2012

So let it be written, so let it be done

I was pretty happy with my race results from the CARA Lakefront 10-Miler  this past Saturday.  But then, I looked at the official results and saw that I placed 1,214th out of 1,423 runners - meaning I was in the bottom 15th percentile.  I also read race recaps from others who ran the same race significantly faster than I did, yet they complained about their "poor" performance.  This was upsetting.

I know that the appropriate response here is to just focus on my own training and my own progress without worrying about what others think or do.  And I will.  Eventually.


In the meantime, though, I am setting a new goal/guideline for myself.  This is for me to only talk to myself the way that I would talk to a friend.

For example, I would never tell a friend "You're so lazy and slow!" or "You are never going to improve!" or "Why do you even bother?"  Therefore, I need to stop saying things like that to myself.

So let it be written, so let it be done.


In other news, water is wet.  (I know, I know, stop the presses.)  I wanted to go for a run yesterday after work, but it was raining pretty heavily.

I had too many other things to take care of last night and I just wasn't in the mood to deal with the rain.  So instead, I ran on the treadmill.  And I was quickly reminded of why I try to avoid the treadmill whenever possible.


I figured that I might as well try to find a way to make the most of it. 

The one thing that I can't get much from outdoor running in Chicago is (real) hillwork - but a treadmill can provide some incline simulation.  As much as hill running hurts, I know hill workouts can pay off big time.  So I threw some inclines into my workout and was proud of myself afterwards for putting forth the extra (albeit painful) effort.

Whenever I end up on the treadmill from now on, I resolve to do some hill work.

So let it be written, so let it be done.

(And all the more incentive for me to avoid the treadmill at all costs.  Heh.)


Lastly, I've ended up in the situation many times of being out running errands or stuck in the office and getting hungry, but having nothing to snack on.  Besides how miserable it feels, it's usually a prelude to me scarfing down something unhealthy out of sheer desperation.  ("Hello and goodbye, [insert dessert name here] that is the size of my head!")


It's been said that you are already dehydrated even before you start feeling thirsty.  Similarly, I've heard that if you feel hungry you've already waited too long to eat.  Therefore, it's healthier to eat something every few hours, even if it's just a small snack, so that you never get ravenously hungry. 

From now on I am resolving to always have a nutritious snack available or in tow wherever I go.  (I've found that little bags of Quaker Oatmeal Squares are great portable snacks.  I've already trucked a grocery store's worth of healthy snacks into my office cube, as well.)  I also resolve to try to eat something (healthy) every 2 to 2.5 hours during the day.

So let it be written, so let it be done.

(And the trips to the office candy jar every 25 minutes won't count.)

12 comments:

  1. First up, GREAT job on the 10 miler! That is one heck of a negative split (which I'm still trying to do in a long race, but have yet to successfully execute).

    I have always struggled with comparing myself to other runners. But we can't. We have to run our own races.

    I heart quaker oatmeal squares. and you just made me hungry (er). :)

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    1. Thanks, Bobbi! I'll be working on trying to even out my splits so that in the future they'll be more evenly negative, so to speak. =) And yes, we do have to run our own races. I might stop looking altogether at my standings in the race results!

      Aren't Quaker Oatmeal Squares the best? They are so addicting!

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  2. It is hard not to compare yourself to others. There is ALWAYS somewhere faster than you. It's good to focus on how far YOU have come, and only compare yourself to yourself. That's all that matters. Your body, your training, your schedule, your running history, etc, is different from everyone else's.

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    1. You're so right - there is ALWAYS someone faster than us. And likewise, I think it's important to remember that there is ALWAYS someone slower than us, too (which is so easy for me to forget). And you're absolutely right, too, about how our individual training is, well, individual - and that some folks are lifelong runners while others have just started. So, as you alluded to, we can't really compare because we don't know everyone's story.

      Thanks for your great perspective!!!

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  3. I am always surprised when I see people bashing their pace or time online - but it's always just personal to them. I don't think they want other people to look at their times and be jealous (I hope not). I bet there is someone in the bottom 5% who would love your time and is reading this thinking they wish they could run faster. ;) Anyway, It's always a good idea to treat yourself like a friend. Unless you are a b*tch to your friends! LOL! (Not you, just trying ot be funny :) ).

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    1. It really is amazing how some folks are just NEVER happy with their own performance, isn't it? That goes beyond running into all aspects of life - I know some people who seemingly can't be happy unless they are unhappy! And you're absolutely right, as much as someone is always faster than us, there's also always someone who is slower than us... and there's also plenty of people who can't even run altogether. So we can only focus on our own goals. Thank you for your great perspective, as usual!

      I try my darndest to be nice to friends for the sole purpose of being a role model for treating myself. ;)

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  4. It is so, so hard to avoid the comparison trap. Many runners do it. I think it's because the numbers are so black and white. I'm still working on getting better about it. I sometimes feel fast, then I read about people saying, "I finished in x number of minutes at the back of the pack." I even had a friend say, "If it took me x amount of time to finish this race, I'd be embarrassed." Say what? I wouldn't! It's not easy to get out there and give it your all and finish toward the back. There's no glory in the back, but there is a lot of heart.

    Anyway, all that to say, I love your idea of only talking to yourself as you would a friend. I want to do that, too. So let it be written, so let it be done!*

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    1. I think the comparison trap is TOTALLY because the numbers are so black and white. Thank you for understanding the feeling of thinking that you were fast, only to hear other people make negative comments about similar performances. It can be so hard to not be affected by those comments!

      Thank you also for what you said about there not being glory in the back, but there being a lot of heart. I love it! Those are now words for me to live by in my runner's life. =)

      And here's to all of us only talking to ourselves as we would to our friends!!!

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  5. Good for you to realize the negative talk and stop it now...be kind to yourself just as you are kind to others...I just try to remember I am only competing against myself and no one else...I race for me not others...When I am runing, I find my strong!!!

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    1. Thank you, and yes - I need to keep reminding myself that I am only competing against myself and no one else (although many times I think I am a more challenging competitor to myself than any other person could ever be!). But it really is so important to be kind to ourselves - why do we think that beating ourselves up will help things? And great point on finding our own strength when running. I need to focus more on doing that when I run, too!

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    1. Thanks so much, Amanda!!! Appreciate the support!

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