My first 5 mile run ever was on March 10th, 2013.  I had forgotten it until recently, when I headed out for a long run in the opposite direction that I normally do, and I found myself running the same sidewalks.

It came rushing back to me.  The crisp, sunny weather.  The amazement I felt as I ran further and further from my house, going by familiar landmarks that had previously been considered driving distance.  I felt so good, so happy to be running, that I just kept going.  When I turned around at mile 2.5, I knew I was committed to the next 2.5 miles home, but somehow that didn’t bother me.  It just felt too good to be outside in the sunshine on a sunny weekend afternoon by myself.

I’d never run more than 4 miles on one run at that point, and I wasn’t even signed up for the half marathon yet.  Those 5 miles happened because I wanted them to, not because I was training for something or had scheduled the run or felt some sort of pressure to complete them for a goal.

It was a special run – but I’d forgotten all about it until I settled into a long run 5 months later, and started seeing those same landmarks tick by.   I remember the first time I ran by that hardware store.  That bakery.  That intersection of Route 9 and 16.  Here’s where I turned back.  Today it’s not even halfway. 

I’m glad that revisiting that path triggered my memory, because it’s a special one.  Not only does it show me how far I’ve come, it shows me how fun the journey has been.  I’d love to do that run for the first time all over again.

The more running I do, the easier it becomes to forget some of those special runs, or some of the tough points in running that I’ve overcome.  I wish I had kept better track of my challenges and goals from the beginning of my running.  I remember telling Greg last fall that I would “never run more than a 5k”.  Wish I had that in writing.

We’ve been on Cape Cod, Massachusetts this week, and it’s been amazing.  I took a break from my half marathon training and scheduled a recovery week with no long runs, but I didn’t take a break from running.  I’m not sure I could have.  Sure, running means extra packing and scheduling time away from beach combing and site seeing.  It also gives you the energy and mood boost you need to combat the over-indulgences most of us tend towards on vacation. 

Even if you’re trying to eat healthy on vacation, you’re faced with the challenges of an un-stocked kitchenette or high sodium restaurant foods.  I wasn’t even trying.  I’m here to eat the lobster, and I’m dipping it in butter, too.  I’m on vacation, darn it.  I’m going to have the fish and chips with a glass of Chablis and no apologies.

I skipped the long run this week, and opted for three short recovery runs of three miles each.  No pace goal, no tempo runs, just easy miles where I soaked up the view, smelled the salt air, and loved the fact that I was alive and running.

The best parts of running on vacation:

• Scenic views and new roads to explore
• You can’t avoid the hills because you don’t know where they are
• It motivates you to stay hydrated while you’re on the beach
• It helps you feel good even though you might not be eating as well as you normally do
• It takes extra patience and energy to navigate a family through restaurants and site seeing and un-child-proofed accommodations – take a break, go for a run, get your runner’s high!
• You can get a better feel for the area and maybe even scout out shops or restaurants
• It can get you out of bed early and extend your time enjoying your destination

The worst parts of running on vacation:

• Unfamiliar area – you may want to drive around looking for sidewalks or good breakdown lanes to scout out a running path
• You might enjoy your fried dinner less if you’re worried about your run the next morning (take it easy, run slow, enjoy your miles!)
• Make sure you’re running somewhere safe – especially overseas
• Getting lost! A phone with GPS is really helpful, or a map tucked into a pocket

I loved my vacation runs.  I made them part of my vacation by taking it easy, and I still ended up with the endorphins from running and the energy to enjoy our destination.  So pack your running shoes.  It’s worth it.

I remember finishing C25K, running that first 5k, and then being like “Now What?”

I was so excited to be getting out there and running three miles without stopping that I hadn’t really taken time to figure out what I would do once I got there.  Did I want to get faster?  Just run regularly?  Run longer distances?  Who was I as a runner?

One of the really fun parts of doing the Couch to 5k program is how quickly you’re making progress.  You get out there, you work hard, and suddenly you’re able to run for longer and longer without stopping.  You make progress in a week, and you’re practically halfway there in a month.

Once you can run three miles without stopping, though, you suddenly stop seeing such rapid improvements in your running progress.  You no longer have an app or a calendar that’s planning your workouts for you, and you no longer have a race scheduled to keep you motivated.

I felt a little lost.  Where do I go from here?  A 10k?  Another 5k but faster?  My husband runs marathons, and I knew I wasn’t interested in that, but maybe a 10k would be fun to work towards.  I didn’t really know what I was going to do next.

It’s been just over a year since I started the Couch to 5k program, and I’ve had a variety of running goals that I’ve enjoyed working towards.  What I came to realize was that I had been asking myself the wrong question.  Don’t ask yourself who you are as a runner, ask yourself what you want from your running. Plan your running goals with that in mind.

What can running to do for you?

Keep you healthy/boost your mood:
You don’t have to run that far or that fast for running to elevate your mood, help you sleep better, and give you all the health benefits that come with regular cardiovascular exercise.  Maybe you’re a fitness runner, and now that you can run three miles without stopping your goal should just be to keep doing that regularly.  Set a goal for number of runs or number of miles a week, and track your success on a calendar until it becomes a habit.  (Or even afterwards… I love writing down my miles every time I come home!)

Get you outside all four seasons:
One of my favorite parts of running is that it gets me outside in the winter when I otherwise might have cabin fever.  I love running hard and then stopping outside in that January sunshine and feeling warm despite the single digits!

Provide you with a challenge:
Maybe you loved the sense of accomplishment that came with improving over the course of the Couch to 5k program.  Maybe you’re the type who would really enjoy working on improving your pace or increasing your distance.  There’s enough running books out there to help you improve your heart out, just make sure you’re doing it because you like the struggle, you love planning and strategizing your training, and you’re enjoying yourself.  Do it because you love it and it makes you feel accomplished, not because you feel obligated to keep improving!  Just continuing to run is a great goal.  If you decide you want to run a half marathon or marathon, it’s critical that you enjoy the process of training for it and not just the fleeting accomplishment of race day.  If you love the destination but not the journey, you may find it’s not worth the time and effort you need to put into training.

Improve your social life:
Running groups are everywhere, and it’s a great way to meet up with friends regularly while also getting a workout in!  Most running gear stores near us have weekly running clubs where you can show up and run your own pace.  Don’t think you’re too slow to show up – you can socialize before and after, or maybe find another runner who’s relieved that someone close to their own pace came, too!  (I would so run with you.)  Call some running stores in your area and ask them if they have a running club.

Keep you eating healthier and drinking less:
I’m going to be honest – I love a glass of wine and a bar of chocolate as much as the next girl.  But I love feeling great on my run more, so I’m careful about staying hydrated and eating healthier simply because it affects my running performance.  I love the way it feels when I have a great run, I’m pushing hard and I’m in the zone, and I’m properly hydrated and not cramping.  It’s helped me want to eat better foods, and pass on the second glass of wine or skip drinking entirely.

The bottom line – 
Think about what you want running to do for you, and use that to decide where you go after Couch to 5k.  It’s important not to get caught up in someone else’s running goals.  Don’t feel unaccomplished because someone else is running marathons and you’d rather stick to 5ks.  On the other hand, go ahead and work towards a longer race if you’re out there running and love the thrill of settling into the zone for more and more miles.  It’s about figuring out what aspects of running make you happiest, balancing your running goals with the time you have available to run, and doing it for you and not for what you want someone else to think about you.

Happy Running – you’re at the beginning of something great 🙂

Similar Posts:

Comparing Yourself to Your Own Running Goals
Some Thoughts on Competition
Why You’re a Real Runner

Our diplomas, hung in the gym.  Mine to the left of the clock, Greg’s to the right.

We just hung our diplomas up in our home gym, and I love it!  What a great reminder of what we can achieve when we stay motivated.   We made it through all those long nights of studying and interminable term papers, and then we went back for more.  There were times writing my thesis that I didn’t think I was going to make it to the other side, but I did.  What a great visual reminder of my own resiliency, right near the treadmill to help me keep going when I want to hit the stop button instead.

We also hung up some of our favorite running photos.  Mine is a grinning self-portrait I snapped with my phone before a race on New Year’s Day.  Blue skies, snow on the ground, I was so happy to start my New Year with a 3.1 mile run and the confidence that I was going to keep on running straight through 2013.  The photo of Greg is him running the 2013 Boston marathon, taken at the halfway point in Wellesley.

Andrew’s photo is a picture Greg got of him seconds before he took his very first steps.  We wanted to capture him standing and grinning, and we didn’t realize that seconds later, he would walk for the very first time.  When I look at Andrew’s face in the photo, it’s as though he knows he’s about to do something amazing, and he can’t wait to try.  I’d love to start every race like that.

Will’s photo is him running on Peak’s Island in Maine where we attended a family birthday party in June.  There were so many photos of Will running that it was hard to pick one, but this one made me smile 🙂

We’re really lucky to have room for a treadmill in our home, but any runner has a place where they lace up their shoes before heading out.  It might be a good spot to put a picture that inspires you, a photo of you running, a photo that reminds you of one of your own greatest accomplishments, a photo of someone who inspires you.  Something that helps you focus and center yourself before you get out there and work hard.  For me, it’s a whole wall of diplomas and some fun running photos.

Our running photos, visible to either side of the t.v. from our treadmill.

Will’s running photo in the gym

The photo of Andrew

Greg running the Boston Marathon

Me, the happy runner 🙂

What happens if you’re racing yourself… but someone else thinks they’re racing you, too?

I’m lucky to be such a beginner in some ways, because no one comes up to me after a race and gets in my face about what my time was because they were hoping to beat me.  This is in part because I run pretty slow.  Chances are good that if you’re competitive enough to be looking for a rival, you’re faster than I am already.

But I’ve crossed paths with some more serious runners, and heard some stories about competitiveness that made me think.  If you follow my blog at all, you’ll know that I think running should be fun, people should figure out what makes them happiest about running and pursue it, and that everyone who gets out and runs is doing something great.

Sometimes competition is a great motivator that helps people with those goals, but sometimes it’s a complete buzz-kill because someone else is using your running time to make themselves feel better.  What does your running time have to do with them, anyway? It has to do with you, how you felt that day, how you’ve been training… it has no bearing on their success.

Some great uses for competition:

• Do hills workouts with a partner and use racing to the top as a motivator to keep both of you going
• Challenge a friend to run a certain number of miles a week to increase accountability for both of you
• Challenge yourself to keep up with a more experienced runner for a short distance
• Challenge a more experienced runner to catch you doing intervals…. after giving yourself a substantial head start.  Repeat until you figure out the point at which you finish together.
• Compete with a friend to see who can stick most closely to their training plans, percentage of runs completed wins, not fastest runner
• Join a running club and push yourself to get closer to the pace of other runners… without telling them what you’re doing
• When it motivates you to work on your running so you can keep up with those girls who run at lunch
• When you and another runner of similar abilities both enjoy trying to beat each other in a given race, it makes you each run faster, and you’re both laughing at the end (even if one of you is now paying for dinner)