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How to fail at running (in one easy step)

Over the weekend, the hubs and I talked about my running goals. I had the realization last week that I was putting pressure on myself based on what I was seeing other people do. I was comparing my mileage, my workouts and my paces to other people's on social media. Especially other people training for Boston.


I was beginning to wonder if I should change up my training plan or if I needed to push myself harder on my "easy" runs.

Then I stopped looking. Stopped comparing. Because the surest way to fail, whether it means I get injured or that I stand at the starting line in Boston over trained and exhausted, is by comparing myself to others and messing up my training as a result.

Instead, I pulled out my training log from 2013 when I trained for both a spring and a fall marathon injury free and first achieved my goal of qualifying for Boston. I have modified my training plan for the next 55 days to closely mirror what I did in the weeks leading up to the fall marathon I ran that year. And I'm sticking to it.


I also talked about my goals with my husband and am focusing on the fact that they are MY goals. The only other people who matter when it comes to my effort to achieve them are the three original members of Team I Have Run. Because without them, I couldn't reach any of my goals.

There's a reason for all those cliches out there:

Run your own race.

Run the mile you're in.

No one can run it for you.

Running, at its very base, is an individual endeavor. Only YOU can determine what you can do. You decide how far, how fast, how often, how hard. If you want to succeed as a runner, make those decisions BASED on you. Not on others.

Comments

  1. Well said. As a novice runner (more like run-walk-run-walker) I appreciate this immensely. The only way I've been able to start increasing mileage in half-marathon training without injury is my own snail pace interspersed with walking, which feels like major cheating when compared to other runners. However, I've increased mileage more than ever in my life so it seems to be working injury free, so thanks for the validation.

    Side note - I don't look at others photography blogs much or I end up unhappy with my own. Same sort of lesson there :)

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  2. Oh soooo true! I had to learn this the hard way from 2012-2014. No more comparing and jumping the gun. Smart training that is personalized just for you, and consulting the ones you love is awesome. I sure hope this is the year I make it back to the start of a marathon again... healthy, rested, well trained and happy. I have missed it.

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  3. This made me smile! That is indeed the best way to set yourself up for failure. Compare yourself to others.

    You are so right.

    Momshomerun

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  4. Yes you are so right!! I'm very bad about that!!!

    ReplyDelete

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