No, someone has been saying for years that runners are lost without goals. Sure, you could just jog for the rest of your life and be totally fine, but goals gives our runs purpose, and it's that purpose that gives us the will to run in the dark when the temps are in the teens or when we're tired or hungover. The race is the carrot, or in the case of my avatar, the slice of pizza, and that is what keeps us going. Take away the desire to race your best at X event and you've effectively taken away the "need" to run a single step. Indeed, some people walk away from the sport because there's nothing left for them to accomplish in it in their eyes.
Hmmm. So that someone doesn't believe someone could just use running as a means of transportation? Or that the person's goal is to not use a car, and therefore run a lot of times to get from point A to point B?
Super B****
Ah--I had totally missed that--thanks for the clarification! Totally true. I actually wonder if that's all that my doctor was looking at. And sorry if I seemed unsympathetic towards your run of terror...I can relate (in my own painful way). Hoping it goes better than you could imagine.
Ah--I had totally missed that--thanks for the clarification! Totally true. I actually wonder if that's all that my doctor was looking at.
And sorry if I seemed unsympathetic towards your run of terror...I can relate (in my own painful way). Hoping it goes better than you could imagine.
If that was all s/he was looking at, why not just order that? It's odd because it's the same doctor. Like my bone doctor finds it an issue but PCP never seems concerned that my alkaline phosphatase level is consistently low, which makes me wonder why she even checks it! I guess it's just part of a comprehensive metabolic panel, but still.
I'm mostly terrified because my dietitian has scared me shitless, not really worried the workout won't go well! If I run way slower than I'm supposed to but emerge in one piece it will be a relief.
chasing the impossible
because i never shut up ... i blog
I think it's just that there needs to be a point to running, in order for someone to stick with it. The focus could be getting faster or getting to work, or a million other reasons. And you shouldn't care if someone else doesn't understand your reason, it only matters for you. And your reason will change over time. Lots of people run but don't race.
Yeah, well I was just thinking out loud, as for now I will probably still race, but I think it's possible to run just to keep a good cardio vascular health, to stay in shape.
are you racing this weekend? 5k or 10k?
10k on Sunday. Not sure what to expect.
Dave
Go figure
Do plans count if they are in pencil and no races have been registered for? Asking for a friend......
My life is beginning to feel like a perpetual base building phase. How do you even go about writing that down? And I'm scared to race because my ego is too darn big to race at a sensible pace and not beyond my fitness.
6 miles or so on the trail tonight with the trail group...really need to keep the pace mild, which I think should be easier since we have some people racing this weekend, meaning they won't be able to suck me in.
Trying to find some more hay to restock the barn
That's not so much of a prediction as a guarantee.
My speed during my workout yesterday was not as bad as I feared, but my endurance is probably for shit. Even a 10k feels like it's going to be too long to race. I haven't run longer than 10 miles since Boston, and I've only even done that once in the last ~6 weeks. On the plus side, there is post-race French toast.
delicate flower
Give it hell.
<3
I guess I didn't understand what you were asking or didn't read it thoroughly. I was addressing training. Why do we train. Why do we put ourselves through the nonsense. It's usually tied to a goal and/or an event. Running to stay in shape or for fitness is an entirely different subject, one that needs no reason or explanation. If one doesn't want to train anymore and would rather just run, that's perfectly fine. I know people who've run their entire adult lives without so much as jogging a 5k. It happens. You don't need goals to run for fitness. Just run. Millions do. I suppose you don't need goals to train either, but it sure helps.
I run as if I'm training for something, but haven't signed up for anything so I wonder sometimes if there is a point to it. I say it's so I can jump into training when I am ready but I keep putting off signing up for anything. There is a lot of uncertainty at home about whether we'll be travelling and when so I've been unable to make any plans. Summer is almost over and we're still home. I had hoped to do a fall marathon, but it's too late to start training now, especially since I think my husband will say, "Let's go now." as soon as I get serious. It's happened before. So I just run to get the miles in without having a goal besides getting the miles done. OTOH, I know running helps me mentally and emotionally. I get very unhappy on days I don't run. I also enjoy ice cream and beer and like the fact that I run enough to be able to enjoy both fairly often. So that keeps me moving.
LRB, that is what I was saying. You had it right. Why do I put myself through this, I was talking about training. I thought that in your first answer you had included the whole running thing. I agree with you that training without a goal must be difficult to keep up for a while. A few months, ok, but a few years... probably not.
I do that for periods of time. I keep trainiing even if I'm not racing to be even better when I do race.
MTA: better when I start training for an actual race
These are probably my 2 biggest motivators to run.
This is maybe a touchy subject, but I look around and see how fat 95% of the population seems to be these days, and it reminds me why I need to keep running.