Today was a recovery/40 minute cross-train day so I decided to play some tennis with Rob to avoid the boredom of walking. I probably shouldn't say bad stuff about walking since that's where it all started for me and I should be kind of grateful, but I'm just too impatient. This is actually a perfect segue into my other topic of discussion for the day...
While browsing around various running websites yesterday, I saw a banner ad for the upcoming Florida Hospital Marathon in December and I actually started thinking about trying to do it. I got taken in by both my impatience and the fact that I'm incredibly gullible. The ad noted that the course was "a completely flat 26.2" and the high temps would be at a max of 72 degrees: "The easiest race you'll ever run, Fast times guaranteed!" I actually thought about doing it! The thought: "Wait, this is a marathon! A MARATHON!" was but a fleeting one for me.
This leads me to the observation that I need to slow the heck down! I am getting so far ahead of myself it's not even funny! I've done a total of two 5K's and all of a sudden I think I could do a marathon by December?? What possesses me to think this way?! Honestly! It's the same way with the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and the Run To Stop MS Team! I wanted to run that race so badly to support MS research, but I didn't think of the reality of having to raise $1,200 by January 3rd to be on the team. Not only is it difficult to fundraise in general, but that's prime holiday time! How did I think that I could make that happen in the middle of holiday season?! This is exactly what I was talking about in an earlier post about finding something I'm interested in and putting myself 1000% into it. There are no brakes with me, it's full steam ahead without regard to the pragmatism of the situation. At least I've realized this now and can accommodate my thinking accordingly.
Patience is something I'm trying to learn through running. I'm trying to teach myself to take the time to put the effort, heart and soul into something I really care about and watch it develop into something really beautiful and rewarding over time. For once, I'm trying to make an earnest investment in myself and my well-being. This is a valuable lesson in life and I think it's about time that I learn it! So far, it hasn't been easy for me. There are often times that I start running way too fast because I just want to get to the end of the block already and it comes back to bite me at the end of the run with much pain and frustration. It's times like these that I try to gently remind myself to have patience, that I'll reach the end of that block eventually with a simple, steady gait and the end of my run will feel that much better for having held back.
It's a tricky thing, this patience. It's a balancing act. On the one hand, you don't want to burn yourself out by going too fast too soon. However, on the other hand, you really do want to keep improving your times and pushing yourself forward. This is something I'm clearly still struggling to figure out, but I'll get there eventually. Just have to have a little patience along the way!
Steph! I see so much of my own thought process and way of being in your post. I started running a few years back and found it to be so freeing- a release as well as a sense of accomplishment. And then, I wanted to run more, faster. Through a charity in nyc, I was able to obtain a spot in last year's nyc marathon after doing one half-marathon and a few long runs on the weekends. Then, I started pre-training for the marathon and did a crazy 18 mile run one saturday. I was out at the park and just kept thinking "a few more miles" and I'll reach my longest run. A few months later I suffered a hip injury from running too far too fast and had to withdraw from the marathon, which at that point was a relief because I was having difficulty raising the $3,000 for the charity. Every day I try and take a deep breath and learn patience as well. Keep it up, you're doing great :)
ReplyDelete