Living and running in the moment
I've been running for the better part of my life. I ran on my junior high's track team, and I ran as a 400m sprinter in high school. While I wasn't running competitively on a team in college, I still ran recreationally. I've even been a runner on two Hood to Coast relay teams, finished two marathons, three half marathons and dozens of shorter distance races. And yet I still have trouble calling myself a runner. With only two races under my belt at a sub-9 pace, I average a pace of somewhere between 9:15 and 10:00-min miles, and even slower for some of the longer races.
Every year I have only one goal: to race faster. Each time I register for a race, I say to myself, "this is it, this is where I run at a sub-9 pace." Then race day rolls around, and while I might have finished with a new PR, there remains a "9" as the first digit under the "pace" column. I'll always have some reason or another as to why I didn't do it, but in the end, it usually boils down to the plain and simple fact that my running habits, and thus my training, remains inconsistent.
I've never kept a training log. I've tried a number of online logs and iphone apps, and while I can easily track my mileage, pace, the weather, I have difficulty tracking the intangible aspect of running. The empty "notes" box seems inadequate for acknowledging that the only reason I ran a 3-miler in 25 minutes is because I was totally pissed off at my daughter for waiting until we were a mile down the road before telling me she had to go to the bathroom. So in making myself more accountable, I've created this space, a place where I can not only write how I ran, but also how I felt physically and emotionally during the run. And maybe make the occasional run-related rant. I make no claims about my writing abilities; I'm not a writer. I'm merely transcribing my thoughts, however incoherent they may be. Chances are my husband will be the only one to read this, but the very least I hope this space keeps me motivated and focused.
I need to clarify that I run because I enjoy running. Regardless of how fast or slow I run, I still put on my running shoes 3-4 times a week. But like everything else I do in my life, my type-A personality drives me to improvement and ultimately (however unattainable) perfection.
A thirty-something running mama in Portland, OR, who finds sanity in lacing up her Nikes, enjoys the challenge that running and racing brings, but doesn't run very fast. I try to improve my speed with each race, and I share my efforts here.
Contributed by Margaret Wang
A thirty-something running mama in Portland, OR, who finds sanity in lacing up her Nikes, enjoys the challenge that running and racing brings, but doesn't run very fast. I try to improve my speed with each race, and I share my efforts here.
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