It's been a while
since I've written an entry, and I am at least three race reports behind. There
isn't one clear-cut reason why I haven't written, but it's mostly because I've
lacked the inspiration to sit down and put something cohesive together.
A large part of my
insecurities has stemmed from a poor start to my running year. While things
have been looking up over the last few months, I don't feel like I'm doing as
much as I should be for the marathon. While a part of me realizes that having a
conservative approach makes sense, it isn't easy to convince myself of this on
an emotional level. I realize that it was partly due to the people I have
encountered over the years since I have started my journey.
I have met runners
of all shapes, sizes, and running philosophies, and no two of them have the
exact same spectrum of speed, miles per week, preferred running brands and
training methodologies.
On one end of the
spectrum, there are those people who are amazed at my mileage. In fact, there
are people my family and
coworkers who think that forty miles per week in marathon training is
a TON of mileage and that I'm
insane. There are those who consider me a fast runner even though I barely
hit the 60% in my age group even when I'm at my fastest. In fact, it's all too
easy to get an ego boost from all of this before I remember that...
On the flip side, I
know people who have complained about "only" running 200+ miles in a
month. A lot of these people do their recovery runs at paces that are
impossible for me I can only
dream about, and who qualify for the Boston Marathon on a regular basis. I know
people - and their friends - who have run 100 miles in less than 40 hours and
act as if it's the most natural thing in the world. Did I mention that at least
one of these people is only 12 years old? It's all too easy to think that they
assume that efforts are a joke and that I have no business even talking about
running around these people, even though these people have been nothing but
supportive of me.
Let's face it:
we're all a little judgmental when it comes to other people's
training. In the interest of full disclosure I know I am. But then I found the
following quote:
“One person's craziness is another person's
reality.” ― Tim
Burton
It is all too easy
to sit back and think that other people's methods are completely insane. But
the important thing to remember is that we're all human, and that what works
for some doesn't bode well for others. In addition, there are those who have to
run under far more difficult circumstances, and if I were in their shoes, I
don't think that I would have the same tenacity as them to keep going, or even
start for that matter. Besides, I have learned about both over and under training
the hard way, and perhaps people have to learn through experience, aka the hard
way.
I started this
entry with the idea of making a point in a humorous manner and in a
way that doesn't actually insult anyone. I'm not quite sure that I
hit the mark, especially since I am finishing this entry pre-coffee before 7am,
but I hope it gave you something to think about as I return to the world of
blogging after a three plus month hiatus. Feel free to share any perspectives
you may have in the comments section.
Thanks for reading!
