Run (Together) 4 the Finish Line
October 21, 2009
Nike+ Human Race Quick Links
A lot of people think of running as an individual sport. And for the most part it is unless you're on a relay team. For the most part, it's just you competing against the rest of the field. But there's a social aspect to running that makes it much more than a sport for individuals.
My friend Brooke ran with her father this last weekend in Colorado. They ran 14 miles, which is the farthest her father had ever run before, and it was at elevation which she wasn't used to. Without her father there, she later acknowledged that she might have stopped (or at least taken walk breaks). And Sparky certainly wouldn't have gone that far if Brooke hadn't been there. Together they were able to push themselves harder than they might have otherwise.
When I first started running, I linked up with a local marathon training clinic. They hosted seminars about training and nutrition to prepare people for running their first marathon. I had no idea what I was doing, so it was incredibly informative for me. They also created a custom training schedule for each person. Most importantly they hosted the weekly group runs. There were pace leaders for every goal time and volunteers manned aid stations for longer runs. I quickly made friends with other people in my pace group (Robin, Mary, and Lisa) and we'd go to brunch after every long run.
As we got closer to the marathon, our training schedule dictated that we were supposed to run 5-6 times a week. My life amounted to working, running and sleeping. Running was like a part time job. I burned out and found myself frequently skipping weekday runs.
But I never missed a group run. Seeing my friends every week (and getting brunch!) had become my running motivation. And deep down I knew that I was accountable for the long runs. If I skipped a long run, EVERYONE would know what a slacker I really am. Couldn't let that happen. So without my running friends (and the training clinic), I don't think I would have ever completed a marathon.
The next year I ran Hood to Coast for the first time. Our captain Dan put me on the notoriously brutal leg 1. It starts out at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood and goes six miles to Government Camp. Oh and there's a 2000 foot drop in elevation. I was going so fast that I passed my support van because I had arrived 5 minutes sooner than I was supposed to. At the end of the leg, my quads and calves were toast. I was done. There was no way I could run any more after that. But I had two more legs to go.
My second leg was along the waterfront in downtown Portland. My legs felt like lead bricks. If it were a training run, I would have packed it in and gone home. But my team needed me. Knowing that they were counting on me enabled me to finish my next two legs.
Humans are social creatures. Yes, individuals can survive on their own but we're better when we work together. All the runners I know are incredibly friendly. Getting together with friends and going to group runs and races are my favorite things about running.
The Nike+ Human Race is on 10/24. Join Team Run4 and let's run (together) 4 the finish line.
My friend Brooke ran with her father this last weekend in Colorado. They ran 14 miles, which is the farthest her father had ever run before, and it was at elevation which she wasn't used to. Without her father there, she later acknowledged that she might have stopped (or at least taken walk breaks). And Sparky certainly wouldn't have gone that far if Brooke hadn't been there. Together they were able to push themselves harder than they might have otherwise.
When I first started running, I linked up with a local marathon training clinic. They hosted seminars about training and nutrition to prepare people for running their first marathon. I had no idea what I was doing, so it was incredibly informative for me. They also created a custom training schedule for each person. Most importantly they hosted the weekly group runs. There were pace leaders for every goal time and volunteers manned aid stations for longer runs. I quickly made friends with other people in my pace group (Robin, Mary, and Lisa) and we'd go to brunch after every long run.
As we got closer to the marathon, our training schedule dictated that we were supposed to run 5-6 times a week. My life amounted to working, running and sleeping. Running was like a part time job. I burned out and found myself frequently skipping weekday runs.
But I never missed a group run. Seeing my friends every week (and getting brunch!) had become my running motivation. And deep down I knew that I was accountable for the long runs. If I skipped a long run, EVERYONE would know what a slacker I really am. Couldn't let that happen. So without my running friends (and the training clinic), I don't think I would have ever completed a marathon.
The next year I ran Hood to Coast for the first time. Our captain Dan put me on the notoriously brutal leg 1. It starts out at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood and goes six miles to Government Camp. Oh and there's a 2000 foot drop in elevation. I was going so fast that I passed my support van because I had arrived 5 minutes sooner than I was supposed to. At the end of the leg, my quads and calves were toast. I was done. There was no way I could run any more after that. But I had two more legs to go.
My second leg was along the waterfront in downtown Portland. My legs felt like lead bricks. If it were a training run, I would have packed it in and gone home. But my team needed me. Knowing that they were counting on me enabled me to finish my next two legs.
Humans are social creatures. Yes, individuals can survive on their own but we're better when we work together. All the runners I know are incredibly friendly. Getting together with friends and going to group runs and races are my favorite things about running.
The Nike+ Human Race is on 10/24. Join Team Run4 and let's run (together) 4 the finish line.
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