Long-time blog readers know I have mixed feelings on races.
I love to run. That’s why I’ve run every day since December 24, 2016! Should I run today and tomorrow, that will be 500 days straight.
But races themselves are not always the best way to celebrate this love. The weather might not cooperate. I swore off racing for a while after a beastly 84 degree half marathon two years ago. The crowds can be nutty. Some races up the pain factor by forcing you to come to an “expo” (where you have to walk past all the sponsors’ booths) to get your bib.
So I was wondering how the Broad Street 10-Miler — an annual institution here in Philly — would turn out. But it turned out to be a really great day for a run.
My husband and I both signed up (through his company, so we were guaranteed slots). We got the bibs mailed to us. And then we elected not to deal with all the crazy starting logistical nonsense. We took uber from our house, and got dropped off there late enough that we could just run in with the last corral.
The weather was perfect: overcast and 60 degrees the whole time. We ran slowly and the miles went easy. Perhaps because we were running at such a leisurely pace, when we hit the finish line I felt like I could definitely keep going (good to know if I decide to run a half marathon in the next few weeks).
I know that to some runners, the idea of ending a race with anything left in the tank misses the whole point. But my life is such that it’s not an option to check out after a run. We took the subway into downtown from the finish to meet up with my husband’s colleagues at a restaurant, and then we came home and took our four kids plus a friend to the Franklin Institute. And, of course, I’ll be running again today. When running feels good, it’s easy to keep running. And so that has reminded me why I do want running to keep feeling good.
In other news: Off the Clock, my next book, comes out in just a little over 3 weeks! I got the idea for the title on — you guessed it — a run. If you enjoy this blog, would you consider pre-ordering a copy? Pre-orders show booksellers and publishers that demand is strong. Thanks for your support!
You crushed it! You were running with my people….the back of the back…where most of the fun is and you had a great running partner! Congratulations!
@Phil- aw, thanks. It was a pleasant run!
I love running, but don’t love feeling completely smoked by the end of a run. Your race sounds like it was just right — fun! Like my family’s “Rule #4” — go home when you’re still having fun.
Also, I was just saying to my husband yesterday that pretty much all life lessons can be explained with running — I’d just realized the most stressful thing to me is feeling in a rush. I don’t mind having a billion things to do, or going for 20 hours straight in a day (ok, a bit of hyperbole), as long as I don’t have to sprint. (So of course, Off The Clock is on my to-read list!)
Glad to hear that it was a good run. I had a few friends who ran it and also had good things to say. It’s cool to hear multiple perspectives about an event.
One note about running until empty though — “I know that to some runners, the idea of ending a race with anything left in the tank misses the whole point. But my life is such that it’s not an option to check out after a run. ” — that should be “it’s not a priority,” right? I mean you could get childcare and recover for the rest of the day. You chose not to. Curious on why you didn’t chose that language for yourself when you seems to advocate it for others?
@June – sure, not a priority. Many other things I elect to do, even on days I run long!