Isn't that how all good stories start?
It was a dark and stormy night...
I digress.
I've been doing a lot of thinking about all this Boston hub-bub. You know, all the brew-haha about changing the standards, registration procedures, blah blah blah. I'm in agreement with the changes. I think that the changes will help create an elite race for those runners who value their achievements in pushing hard and running fast. I have the utmost respect for those who can push themselves so hard in training and racing.
But...
There's always a but, isn't there?
I have realized that this goal of qualifying for Boston is not one that actually resonates with me right now. I have been thinking about it in a half hearted way, wanting to qualify for the wrong reasons, I suppose. A BQ has become a badge of honor, a way to judge your efforts against others, and sure, I wanted to be able to meet that standard, but really only because it seemed like the thing I should be doing as a person who loves to run.
But the running that makes me happiest happens at the intersection of ease and effort, and right now, that's slower than the BQ standards. When I realized that I would need to run almost twenty minutes faster to guarantee registration on the first day, it was a sense of relief I felt - not challenge. Maybe that means I've lost my competitive fire. Or that I'm lazy.
I'm okay with that.
In the end, your running needs to make you happy. If running fast and puking makes you happy, then go for it. If running slowly until you think your legs might fall off makes you happy, then that's what you should do. If running 5ks with friends is what you love, then that's what you should be doing. You can't let what others value in their running dictate what you do. Find what fills your heart with joy and then do that, as much as you can.
Are you chasing after goals that aren't your own? Or does your running sit right in your sweet spot?
Well said. I think you are spot on. I have always thought I wanted to qualify even though I don't have a desire to run Boston. Is that really my dream or one I think I should have? Need to contemplate that...
ReplyDeleteI also wrote about how I am in agreement with the new standards. I don't understand all of the fuss. I might understand if that was my lifelong goal, but it's not. I run for the joy of it. I run to beat my own times. I run to see how hard I can push myself. I run for the high. I basically run for many reasons, none of which involve qualifying for Boston. :)
ReplyDeleteVERY well put.
As someone who knows there is no way, absolutely never that I will qualify for Boston I really don't care about the new rules. They could add time to it and I'd still be out. I definitely believe you have to do things for the joy of it. Maybe it's the energy you get a race day, or the ability to just clear your mind. My goal is always just to finish. I'm a slow runner, so I don't make fast goals or I would be constantly disappointed.
ReplyDeleteI sure do like this post.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a Boston Qualifier either. In fact, I'm not even close. Would I like to do it someday? Yes. But not in the near future. I recently did the RNR Mardi Gras Half Marathon. I came in 73rd out of the 10,272. That's great and all, but as I was looking through the race photos, I noticed that there aren't a lot of smile amongst the front runners. I had some friends who ran it as well. Their pics at the 5K mat all looked so happy. They really looked like they were enjoying it...crossing the mat with smiles and hands thrown in the air. They looked a lot happier than I did in my pics. I do like racing and giving my all in a race. There is a part of me that appreciates my ability to do so. But I'm thinking, and you're verifying it here, that I should slow down a little bit and really take some time to enjoy some races for what they are...a celebration of good health and being fit.
Awesome post!!
just came across your blog :) its sooo cue! you have some really good insight on your posts! xoxo cant wait to read more of what you write!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. I think it's very easy to get caught up in different aspects of running and forget what it is about running that truly makes us happy.
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