Squeeee! I just ordered my new pair of kicks (I love every time this life event comes around ) and it got me to thinking about the kind of runner I am. I am about to start training for my first half. I don't run races very often and when I do, it is just for fun. I always do Color Me Rad and I do some at Lackland AFB so I can support the troops. We get to run along with them (them in formation) and it is a very nostalgic thing for me to do. I ran my first 5k at Lackland so that I could HOPEFULLY see my daughter along the run because she was in Basic Training at the time. I did get to see her by the way but not until after the race was over. So, when I do 5k's there, all I think of is her and the sacrifice of these new military personnel and that I am getting to see someone's baby who probably would give most anything to trade places with me. I don't care about my pace. I am my biggest competitor so, racing against others is just not something I am interested in. I won't spend the $ to race when I push myself just as hard on my own running routes. And, I won't register to even run this half until it is very near the event and I am sure that I am going to come close to my target pace. My goal is to be better than what I was the last time I ran whatever distance I am running, even if it is by a few seconds. I want to run this half just so I can say I ran a half once. I will probably not run one again....time will tell I guess. My hubby refuses to run with me anymore because I am so competitive with myself. He likes to run for pleasure and to maintain fitness so our reasons don't mesh well together. Sadly. So, what kind of runner are you and do you race/compete?
You have a lot of rules. I'm not fast, but I do like to push myself in races. During training, no. I'm more of a social runner, I run with my group and we chat the whole time and whatever. Then at the race I'm all in. I love the races because they're fun and interesting. Sometimes I can eek out an age group award but not always, and not if it's a big race.
You know those stickers that say 13.1 or 26.2 on the back of people's cars? I have one that says 0.0, I don't run. LOL! No, not really. I did print one out once and put it on my car to make my hubby chuckle. He's a runner. I did train for a 5K with a friend of mine this spring and we did pretty well, but my knees were very mad at me after that, so now we just walk 3-5 miles about 4 times a week instead. Sometimes I wish I could run because my exercise would be over faster. But we can talk a WHOLE lot more while walking, so that's all good too.
Yeah, walking is great too! I do that when I just can't take the running. I agree though that it's nice to run because it gets over sooner and I like that part of running. I know Angie what you mean about my rules....LOL. I just take it way too serious. I wish I could relax more and just enjoy it, and I do enjoy it but, sometimes I wish I weren't so hard on myself about it. It's just not my style. I do several walks for charity each year too. Usually for Juvenile Diabetes and the other for Walk For the Cure. We do that with my husband's co-workers.
I have gotten as far as the Couch to 5K app..............but haven't done anything with it, lol. I have done 3 5Ks this year but I walked all of them. My friend is a runner, she runs them and I walked.
I'm a reluctant runner (er...snail really). I don't love it. I don't hate it. I want to get in better shape so that my kids have a mom long past their 20s (I'm 43 -they are 4 and 2), and so that I can enjoy that time together without being a burden to them. My average pace is a 12 minute mile - snailish at best. I have run a couple of 5K's and my next is the Color Me Rad in September. After that is my first 10K at the end of September, and I'm training for a half in the spring. I do the races so that it keeps me going. If no races are scheduled I find it hard to get out of bed and keep working at it. Someday I hope to find that I enjoy running and can actually feel like maybe I'm good at it??
