The Race with Myself

It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners.  Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.

George Sheenhan

Oprah Winfrey once said that "running [was] the greatest metaphor for life: you get out of it what you put into it."  Now, while I can see what she is getting at, you often get good results in running and life if you work hard, this metaphor is a little "life is like a box of chocolates" for me. What I mean is, it seems a bit trite and overly simple to be anything more than a catch phrase. (But then again, maybe I shouldn't be so critical- Oprah is very, very successful with a net worth of 3 billion dollars and I am just a running blogger with a current net worth of about 5 dollars. ) Don't get me wrong,  I like the metaphor. Running is a great metaphor for life, but I think it is far more than matching up effort and outcome. Sometimes all the effort in the world is not enough in both running and life. You are born with a body and a mind. Some bodies are more suited to some things than others, but I don't think this is the biggest obstacle in being successful.  The biggest obstacle to long distance runners is by far, the mind.  On some days, the argument I have with myself to keep going can last the entire run. It is not unlike the good angel and bad devil that used float above the head of my favourite cartoon characters as a child. One side of me, says "Who cares? Nobody cares if you stop, it is no big deal to stop,you can always start up again, common, just stop, I am tired, my legs hurt..." While the other side of me says "Common, I am stronger than that, I will feel bad if I stop, Its not much farther, I can rest later today... etc. etc." All the training and hard work in the world will NOT help you if you are not mentally strong- just like in life. Life is full of ups and downs, good luck, bad luck, unexpected events, easy and challenging moments. Sometimes it is just about putting one foot in front of the other and finishing the race. Other times, you feel like you could run the race twice. As it is with life. Sometimes you barely get through the day, and other days you feel like you could conquer the world.  

But Oprah is right about the hard work thing. Hard work will definitely increase your odds at success. 

I am racing tomorrow in the Pacific Road Runners First Half Marathon. Will it be a struggle, or will it be comfortably challenging? Will I spend the entire race refining my debating skills with myself? At this point, I think it could go either way. Forecast calls for rain, but I am normally good in the rain. I am fighting a bit of a cold as well, but as the day goes on, I do feel better. No matter what happens, I will continue to be grateful for the opportunity and the mental and physical wellness to participate in the event.

My training this week was significantly reduced. I ran on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Only my Tuesday run was tempo and I accumulated only 17 km of running. Next week, back to the grind of training for the BMO Vancouver Marathon.

That's the thing about running: your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. They are moments in time when running allows you to see how wonderful your life is.

Kara Goucher