The Need of Racing

It has already been a month since my last race, and I can tell how much of a difference it makes to my running when I know I am training for a race instead of just running. Racing is what makes the difference between a jogger and a runner. Our runs make more sense when they are gear towards getting ready for a race. We runners like racing, we live for it.

When I am training for a race, I never, ever feel like not running. I simply know it is something it has to be done if I want to do well on race day. When I am off season (like this last month) I skip runs very easily (just because it is raining), and usually I don’t feel like running long distances (why would I if a 10-12k workout is more than enough?). I can say that racing is what makes me a better runner, a more committed one.

On the other hand, it would be hard on the body and the mind, to even pretend, to keep the same level of training throughout every month of the year. They would burn out. So, it is good to have these off season periods to indulge in some laziness (which it does not mean not exercising), to change the routines, and to run less. After a while, we start missing the excitement, the commitment, and the hard work that is part of training for a race.

In one more week my off season time will end. On January 7th I will start a new running clinic. This time I will start training to run my first full marathon. This running season will hopefully take me until the end of October, when I will hit the off season months again.

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What I Have Learned

Last Friday I was talking to some of my running friends about how running has shaped our lives. We were analyzing how running is so different from others sports or ways of exercising. When you are an endurance runner you know it is impossible to compete against others. The only person you are competing against is yourself and your own fears, and this ends up altering who you are.

Although I have never been a quitter, I can definitely say that since I am a runner I have a stronger will, I don’t whine, and I have more courage and confidence to fight until the end. Running has taught me that when you persevere and work hard you see the results; you see the light at the end of the tunnel.

A race is a reflection of what life is. During a race you experience ups and downs; there are moments where you feel high and others where you feel low. You doubt yourself but you also feel confident. There are times that you need others to cheer you up, and times in which you are alone and you have to find the strength to cheer yourself up. It is easier when you are running with someone else but this is not always possible, so you have to learn to run by yourself too. You learn that you need to work hard to see results, otherwise things won’t change. You learn to enjoy the view because if you just think about the finishing line you will miss the journey. You learn that sometimes it is just about enjoying and sometimes it is about pushing the limits.

You learn that the competition is with yourself, no one else. You understand that we are all so different (different bodies, different weaknesses, different injuries, different goals, and different thoughts) that it does not make sense to compete against each other; and here is when you learn to be happy for them. You also learn that, for this competition to make sense, you need to help others to achieve their personal goals. You eventually realize that, there will be so many times, you will need them too to get you through the finishing line.

I used to go to therapy now I run.

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Running Below Zero

Today I had a very interesting run. For the first time I ran with the temperature below zero. It was -6 degrees Celsius when we started running. Dressing for this kind of weather could be tricky. You want to be warm but at the same time you don’t want to overdress. I know I warm up as soon as I get running, and I hate the feeling of being overdressed as much as I hate to feel cold.

I read once that you need to dress as if the weather is going to be around 8 more degrees than what it is when you start running. So, if it is 10 degrees outside, dress for 18 degrees. This formula always work and has helped me finding the right clothes to reach a comfortable temperature when running.

I am used to running from zero degrees up. I have figure out all those numbers regarding which kind of jacket, top, pants, and gloves combination I need to wear. But today it was a new experience. I think I was able to pull it together by adding an extra layer to my upper body, leg warmers and a tuque.

Just one mistake, next time I need thicker gloves. I can’t run with my hands cold but I can’t also handle them hot, so I have gloves of different thickness to choose from according to the temperature outside. Today I chose some thicker, fluffy ones. They worked for the first half of the run, but later on, since the body heat tends to protect the vital organs when they are exposed to extreme temperatures, your fingers and toes loose heat very fast and it is harder to keep them warm. By the end of my run I could barely move my fingers.

I also had a situation with my running pants. I have a nice pair for very warm running pants. They have a layer of fleece on the inside so they feel really warm and cozy. I hadn’t worn them in a year, because they are the extremely cold weather pants, and when I wore them today and started running they started falling down! I spent all my run pulling my pants up! The good side is that this means I am leaner, and I think there isn’t a woman out there that does not get happy when she finds out she has lost some weight without dieting or putting an extra effort in it.

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An Easier Month

As the holiday season starts my mind is asking for a bit of a change regarding my training. I will start my marathon clinic on January 7th and from that day on, until May 4th, the training is going to be hard and intense. So I have decided that during this month I will cut back one run per week and add one cross training activity. That means I will just run two times per week instead of three. I am kind of craving for this change since the weather is getting colder, snow and black ice are already in the forecast, and an indoor training sounds more appealing to me. I will probably even go from one resting day per week to two. I am aware I have to let my body recover to get ready for the intense training that is coming.

I read once that it is not good for your body to train at the same intensity every single day, week and month of the year. You need to have breaks and easier months to be able to perform better on the harder months. December is a busy month anyways, full of family and friends gatherings. I will try to do my best to make myself rest (this does not mean stopping at all) and enjoy this time of the year, until I crave the intense, hard training of the running season.

And what are my running goals for next year? Run my first full marathon in May, run two half marathons (Scotia-Bank and Lululemon) and if everything feels good after that first big race, I will try to run another full marathon during the fall.

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