James is a Runner

Funny. Just a couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post titled, “Have a Plan, Stick to it,” and now, here I am today thinking about transferring up to the GoodLife Marathon from the Half. As I said on Facebook this morning, I don’t really know why I’m considering making the switch. I just feel like I want to run 42.2k again for some reason. That little post elicited quite the response from a few people who questioned my motivation. I don’t really have a good answer, to be honest.

Maybe it’s because I know I can, or that the half marathon is something I can run on any given weekend without too much trouble. Or maybe it’s because I want to prove to myself that I can do better than I did in Ottawa. Or maybe I just feel like running 42.2k for no good reason at all.

It’s not unprecedented for me to do something like this. I decided to run the Sporting Life 10k this year the morning before the race, and I registered just an hour before registration closed. I ran the Midsummer Night’s Run 30k last year with not much preparation at all. We pretty much decided to go for it about six weeks before the race and trained up to the 30k distance pretty quickly.

The marathon isn’t uncharted territory for me. I know what to expect and I know I can do it. The question is whether I want to run another one in October…and I think I do.

Whatever the reasoning and no matter what my heart says, I do realize I should go into this with some sort of plan. With that in mind, I’m going to look into the schedule and see where I’m at in training first and then decide whether it makes sense or not to go for it. If I do run the marathon, I’ll run it like I always run GoodLife – as a more relaxed, end-of-season race.

When you go out for a run, do you have a goal in mind?

Setting overall goals like qualifying for Boston, running a half marathon or getting your 10k time down to 45 minutes are great motivators that get you out the door for those three or four runs a week. Having a plan keeps you on pace to achieve your long-term goals.

But you also need short-term goals to keep your head in the game during each run. Before you lace up the shoes and start your runs, make sure you know what your goals are for that run.

It could be a distance goal — run 7.5k. Or a time goal — run for 30 minutes straight. Or maybe a pace goal — run 5k in under 25 minutes. Having that goal will keep you going when you are out on the run and will help when the nagging voice in the back of your mind starts telling you to pack it in.

Quitters Never Prosper

Keep in mind that having a single run goal is only helpful if you stick to it. It sounds a bit harsh, but if you set out with a goal in mind and then bail on it, you’ve quit. Runners who achieve their goals, both long-term and short-term, have one thing in common: they don’t quit.

Now, don’t be stupid either, please. If you are injured, then obviously, you need to re-evaulate your goal when you are out there and consider whether it’s harmful to continue on. There’s no sense in meeting your single run goal at the expense of your long-term goal, is there?

Challenge Yourself, then Enjoy the Victories

Running is a series of challenges. From getting started, to staying motivated, to that hill on your run, to the last 5k of your first marathon — conquering each challenge that arises makes you a stronger runner and adds to your enjoyment and motivation to run more. Setting goals is what provides those achievements. Set small, attainable goals, difficult long-term goals, and everything in between to keep yourself motivated to get out there and run.

Remember that little 24k run from Sunday? So do my shins.

There’s a reason you are supposed to put together a training plan, and then stick to it. I don’t have a plan and didn’t stick to anything and now I’m paying for it a little bit this evening. I went out for a quickie 5k tonight and immediately felt the ache of shin splints in my left leg. It’s nothing new – I’ve suffered from some minor shin issues almost continuously since I first started running over 10k on weekends a few years ago.

But it’s been quite a few months since I’ve run with any pain and this is most definitely a result of a) new shoes that offer less stability than my old ones, and most of all, b) running 24k without properly building back up to it.

So, lesson learned again (maybe). Have a plan and stick to it. And most of all, don’t be stupid.