My Own Way -- And Having Fun!

I never realized over the last two days that being one of the more visible "mid-to-back of the pack" runners would become so difficult. I could see if I was reeling off a 2:32 marathon that people would be nipping at my heels and/or criticizing why I couldn't crack 2:30! (But I've got folks visualizing me on the way to a 24- or 25-minute 5K and a 7-minute mile without me even asking!)

To be honest, just leave me alone. Visualize Paul Tergat hitting 2:03 in the marathon for crying out loud! Let's be frank. Hitting a particular time is not the most singular focus in my world - or my running world. And if anybody looks at me for the magic elixir of the running world - or as an example, 1.) I don't have it and to answer the second part, 2.) don't!

The only thing I've ever expected in my running world is to keep the police car at the end of the race from nipping at my heels. Although, you know, I'm making them drive a little bit faster or I'm talking more slower runners into showing up. :)

Actually, one of my little known claim to fames is that I am the all-time last place finisher in the Run The Woodlands 5K Series with eight (8), including the DNF on 7/12/2003. (I violated the golden rule: "Never cross Alden Bridge.") When I broke the tie of seven, I was pacing Waverly on Christmas Day 2004. So it didn't bruise my ego to break the record by being her pacer! Plus the first two times I finished last, I set personal records doing it!

Regardless whether some of us are road or trail fodder to a small handful of faster runners who believe it is their God-given right to show us the errors of our ways, the bottom line is that the attainment of whatever goals that only we, as runners or (for those who are getting there) walkers, set for ourselves rests solely on how much we are willing to invest in it at any given time.

But that's an axiom that works in all facets of life and anybody with half of a brain doesn't have to be reminded of it. I mean we have people in this world who believe that they are entitled to welfare, government assistance, et. al.; however, I don't think that I'm entitled to a 2-hour half marathon, a 4:30 marathon, a sub-28 minute 5K or whatever. Duh! I have to work at it!

And if I don't feel like working on it this week or next (or there are things that are going on in my world that doesn't allow me to get on top of it and achieve what is necessary to hit a certain goal), so be it!

Plus maybe I'm a "do-it-myselfer." (Psst ... I am!) I get more satisfaction reaching a goal my way versus some set formula. That too is my right! And the fact of the matter is, I don't want anybody artificially imposing their will on my friends who are involved in the same activity.

If they want to replace a cross training workout for a run, great! Go have fun! If it works for them, fantastic. If they don't do as well, then maybe they go back to adding in another run.

Houston Strider Helen Grant is one of the fastest masters runners in town right now and she's gotten there as a result of a lot of hard work and some dose of God-given ability. However, for as good as she is, she was quoted in the club's newsletter, "Stridelines", on page 14 of the August 2005 issue saying, "After seven years of triathlon training, I'm a great believer in cross-training." She also closed her "Meet the Member" interview with this: "I don't come from the 100 miles/week school of training. Do the minimum mileage you can get away with."

We all pick up bits and pieces that work for us from people that we see do well and at the same time respect.

Somebody pretty damn obnoxious recently told me, "Oh, I'm glad to see that you are reading the "Perfect Mile." It was as if to imply that reading the story about Roger Bannister, John Landy and Wes Santee was going to inspire me alone to be a better runner. Yeah right! Go back to the kiln!

But there was one paragraph - on page 78 of the paperback version - that just figuratively jumped off the page when I was reading it almost a month ago flying home from Vancouver.

"Timers, no timer, on the track, in the woods, schedules, no schedules, staleness, peaks, plateaus, stamina versus speed, the Stotan life, long walks, runs of ten miles a week, twenty, thirty, fifty -- training had advanced a long way from carrying calves and flogging backs, but not to the point of certainty. By the 1950s coaches and former athletes had started a cottage industry out of giving (often conflicting) advice. Fads were commong, and the latest champions were proclaimed to have the perfect method -- until they were beaten by others. The only sure thing was the questions about how to train had many answers, and every athlete had to find his own way."

I might be a recreational athlete only competing against myself each time out; however, I too, like John Landy, have to find my own way. And, most importantly, have fun!