Why Do You Run?

Today is June 1^st and in case you haven’t heard it a hundred times already, it is National Running Day! Why do I run? I could probably come up with a thousand reasons if I had to. I run: for fitness, to get faster, to stay healthy, out of habit, to clear my head, to feel the breeze, because it’s fun, to burn off the Ben and Jerry's, because permanent watch, shorts and sock tan lines are sexy. The list goes on.

These are just the perks though; they are not the reason I drag myself out of bed and out the door before I’m fully conscious every morning. Since my first days as a runner my foremost reason for doing it is because I LOVE to race. I get through the daily toil because I am addicted to racing; I want to set a PR every time I toe the line.

After 13 years as a runner I can finally appreciate the sheer pleasure derived from the miles that take place between races. Nevertheless, I still approach my training with the same mindset. Mileage logged is money in the bank; an investment for future competitions. I have been saving up for a long time now and I’m ready to make a withdrawal this weekend.

Saturday evening in Nashville I will be running my most important race of the season. There is no title on the line, no prize money, and nothing inherently special about this particular race, other than that it is likely my last chance to qualify for the USA Outdoor Championships. This is not where I anticipated being one year ago. I easily bettered the USA ‘A’ standard for 5000m early in the season last year, but was hampered by an IT band injury and unable to race at nationals. I took solace in ‘next year’. ‘Next year’ I’d get the time early and be able to run with the lead pack. Well it is next year now, and I am without the qualifying time, although surprisingly (thankfully!) uninjured.

I had hoped that the transition to a new coach and training environment would be the stimulus I needed to reach the next level. Unfortunately, training has not been without its hiccups. The harder I work the worse my races are. After much analyzing, re-analyzing and over-analyzing my training, we have come to the conclusion that I am a bit overtrained at the moment. This is unchartered territory for me, as I am the overly cautious, carefully tip-toeing through my training-type, ever fearful not to anger the running gods and overextend myself. Now I have done it.

Hopefully the dialing back of the volume and intensity of my training by many, many notches, is enough to put the snap back in my stride. I know my efforts will pay off in the long run, but I'm hoping it is sooner rather than later. When the gun goes off on Saturday I’m going to try my best to remember why I run.