The training season for a long distance race is like a good book - it teaches you something new every time you go back to it.
I've run a couple of full and half marathons and my goal so far had been to be able to finish. This year however, I'm trying to actually race i.e run instead of jog. So most of my focus this training season is on improving my pace.
The most remarkable thing about this season is how it has changed the way I look at each run. When I first started running, there was the thrill and challenge of running farther than you've ever done before, so each training run would be motivated by a sort of passion. Then after the first few races, the passion died down a bit and a training run became a relatively casual affair for me - be it 3 miles or 9 miles or anything in between. I knew I could finish it no matter what, so the main struggle was finding the time and making myself run regularly. A sore muscle here, a little pain over there didn't matter much. The point of the run would be just doing it.
Now however, I need to run at a certain pace - slower initially, then at target pace, then hold it above a certain threshold throughout so that the final average pace is what I want it to be. So each run is special now. Which in turn means I have to care about keeping my muscles in their best working condition, can't just dive in hoping I make the pace. I have to actually pay attention to stretching and warming up and splits and posture and core workouts and strength training. This is novel for me. The same training season I did last year is now teaching me something new.
I've run a couple of full and half marathons and my goal so far had been to be able to finish. This year however, I'm trying to actually race i.e run instead of jog. So most of my focus this training season is on improving my pace.
The most remarkable thing about this season is how it has changed the way I look at each run. When I first started running, there was the thrill and challenge of running farther than you've ever done before, so each training run would be motivated by a sort of passion. Then after the first few races, the passion died down a bit and a training run became a relatively casual affair for me - be it 3 miles or 9 miles or anything in between. I knew I could finish it no matter what, so the main struggle was finding the time and making myself run regularly. A sore muscle here, a little pain over there didn't matter much. The point of the run would be just doing it.
Now however, I need to run at a certain pace - slower initially, then at target pace, then hold it above a certain threshold throughout so that the final average pace is what I want it to be. So each run is special now. Which in turn means I have to care about keeping my muscles in their best working condition, can't just dive in hoping I make the pace. I have to actually pay attention to stretching and warming up and splits and posture and core workouts and strength training. This is novel for me. The same training season I did last year is now teaching me something new.
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Your thoughts are very welcome and I look forward to them eagerly. Just be mindful of being civil. This is a good book about the same in case you are interested:
Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct - P.M.Forni