(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)
It seems like I’m always hearing something about races. Someone is either thinking about participating, or is currently in training, or has just completed one. There are all kinds of options, too — whether it’s something short like a 5k, or a 10-miler, or a marathon, or even triathlons. Even if they’re not taking place right here in my geographic area, I still end up hearing about them because they’re constantly being written about online.
Sometimes I’ve met these race participants in person; others I know only through blogging. Although I also know plenty of people who’ve never taken part in this type of organized event, it’s certainly not due to having a lack of options.
What tends to catch my interest are people who have participated in one of these events for the first time. I like hearing these stories because there’s always so much clarity in the details. Everything is new and exciting — you’re not sure exactly what to expect, and most people experience a sense of accomplishment and pride no matter what their final result.
You’d think — since I enjoy hearing about other people’s experiences — that maybe I’d like to add a story of my own. But I’ve never participated in a race. And I’m not sure when, or if, I ever will.
The reason goes back to certain things I’ve said in the past. Like…I’ve never been a big goal-setter. And while I’m not a late riser, I don’t like getting up earlier in the morning than I have to. I also have this personality where I really don’t like feeling like I “have to” do something.
Another thing is, I’m not a big fan of competing against other people. I like games that I can play by myself. Yes, I know that races don’t have to be competitive unless you want them to be. But when I think about doing something I enjoy, I think about jogging through my neighborhood. Alone. I don’t think about strapping myself to a heart-rate monitor, and I don’t care how long it takes me to run a mile.
Taking this approach to fitness is my choice. I work out because I want to work out, not because I’m being forced to or feel “like I should.” I don’t always find it fun, but it’s always my decision. If I were to specifically start training for something, I worry that I might start to resent it — and I don’t want that to happen.
Is that a silly reason not to do something? Maybe. But at least when I’m looking for inspiration, I know where to look for it. Here are a few posts about first-ever race experiences:
Sarah at Recipes, Reviews, Running and Rants ran her first race this month.
Wow. What an amazing weekend. I ran my first ever race and can’t wait to run another! Haha, I guess I’ve caught the racing bug. I’m not gonna lie, I thought I was going to puke, or keel over, or die when I was running, but afterwords…it’s the best feeling EVER!
I ran [the 5k] in 25:58 and am SO HAPPY! I placed 2nd in my age division (20-29 years) and 4th in the women’s overall (out of 209 women!) and 27th out of all 381 runners!
When Angela at Oh She Glows ran her first race, it helped to think about her reasons for running.
I chatted with a couple runners during the 1st km to try and relax myself. I talked with a couple women and told them about the fundraising and it instantly reminded me WHY I was running the race. Not to win, not to run the fastest I have ever run, but to run it for Chris and for Cancer. It really was as simple as that.
Running with High Heels On has a detailed report of her first marathon.
The Running Bug gives advice for preparing to run your first race.
7 Comments
The best thing about running races isn’t beating other people. It’s beating the expectations you set for yourself.
That’ll give you the kind of satisfaction you find in few places.
Maybe give it a try and see how the outcome falls against your expectation! Best way to test out a hypothosis is, well, to test it :) Can’t hurt, right?
I’m with Brian on that. I’m not marathoner, but I do exercise and run… and it’s all about getting past whatever goal I set for myself. That feels the BEST.
You have to do what YOU want to do. That’s when exercising is enjoyable!
I’ve never been a big competitive runner, or athelete, since forced to in school, but then my friend signed up for a 1/2 marathon and conived me to run it, too.
So, I’m now training for my first race(s). I have a shorter one (5K) next month, and then the 1/2.
I’m nothing short of terrified. Not of placing poorly, but of not even being able to finish. I have no idea when or why I started thinking this was a good idea. (That being said, I love the weight loss perks!)
I ran my first race last summer just because I wanted to. Sure, a few times in the race, I thought “I should catch up to that person.” But just as much I thought about myself, how I was doing, and whether or not I was having fun.
It was definitely difficult. I’m not going to lie — it’s not super duper fun in the moment. But finishing? That was awesome! And the middle part of the run was flat and along a beautiful river, and that was pretty sweet too.
I want to do another one, but my fitness isn’t quite there yet. We’ll see when I am. Mostly, it’s nice because I do like setting goals, and running a race is a pretty public accomplishment.
“The best thing about running races isn’t beating other people. It’s beating the expectations you set for yourself.
That’ll give you the kind of satisfaction you find in few places.”
Bingo! I often joke that I’ll win the race as soon as I can figure out how to get the first 6,000 runners disqualified but I’m really just trying to beat myself, to see how well I can do, if I can conquer that hill, beat the time from the year before…..
I completed my first race last March at the St. Patrick’s Day 8K here in DC. At this time I was still struggling to run anything past 5-6 miles and was starting to get very frustrated at my lack of progress both speed and endurance wise. I had been apprehensive about racing because I feared having to drop out or being the last guy in my age group to finish. I finally said screw it I’m going to just run, and if I do well it’s a bonus. When I crossed the finish line and really wasn’t all that tired, something woke up in my head that told me I can do this, and do more. I said to myself “hey that was easier than I thought, especially since I had to stop and take the fleece pullover off halfway through” (while sunny it was in the 20s pre-race and I didn’t want to freeze before running). Confidence is what I took from that first race. 45:30 or so was my time.
From there I was able to add distance and speed a lot more quickly than I ever imagined. I ran another 8K in October in 36:33 (temps in the high 50s no doubt helped). Races got longer, I finished my first half marathon in Richmond in November, and the Marine Corps Marathon is coming up this year!
The benefits of that race still resonate to this day. While I want to focus on developing more hobbies and interests, I do feel like I have to keep running to keep the 50 pounds I’ve lost since Jan 1 of last year off. But I try not to obsess about it, and keep going for the self improvement.