As a fan, a participant and coach it’s been an overwhelming week in the world of running. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so inspired by a group of runners as I was on Monday and maybe even more so today as I procrastinate doing my own workout as I read race recap after race recap. Good race or bad race, these runners have heart and grit.
Something that has been standing out to me as a coach the past few years is that we all want the glory of reaching our goals, but the reality of what we have to do to reach them isn’t always clear. Our favorite social media running superstars and professional runners are quick to share both their heartaches and victories, but from this point of view they make it look easy, even though what they are accomplishing is in fact extremely challenging.
I think despite the fact that we follow all the ups and downs of someone else’s training and racing, the “instagram effect” glamorizes the process shielding us from the reality of exactly how hard that person is working and how much they give up on weekly basis to make their goals happen.
Knowing exactly what it takes and deciding if its worth it is up to you. There have been times in my life where I would do anything to reach my running goals. While other times, half way through a training cycle I realize I haven’t really been putting in the amount of work required to succeed and that deep down I wasn’t willing to do what it took to meet my goals.
This winter, when Sarah asked me to be her coach again as she trained for Boston I was thrilled. Her goal was to break four hours. If you read her race recap from Boston, you’ll get a little insight as to why I love coaching her so much.
I previously coached Sarah to run her first marathon in Chicago last October. During her training period she didn’t miss one single workout. NOT ONE! She’s a prime example of someone who was willing to give what it took to meet her goal.
Here are a few things she said about her race and training for Boston:
“It really wasn’t an enjoyable run. I was miserable probably 85% of the time.”
“Training for and running this race was the single hardest thing I have ever done in my life. The weather I don’t think could have been worse. It was a constant struggle to get excited for my training runs where as with Chicago’s training, I looked forward to it.”
Goal crushing isn’t easy. It’s painful, dirty and full of setbacks and sacrifices, but is it worth it and are we willing to really do all it takes to reach our goals?
If the answer is yes, then know that things are about to get really uncomfortable and may stay that way until you cross the finish line or cross that goal off your list.
Sara @ LovingOnTheRun says
Love this! When I first started training to get my BQ in December, I knew I had a long road cut out for me. To get that BQ I would have to take 1 hour and almost 10 minutes of my last marathon time. IT was a crazy dream, but I had to BELIEVE in order to achieve. I didn’t have a coach but I did use Hanson’s Marathon Method and followed every single workout, tempo and run. There were a few tempos and workouts I didn’t hit exactly but I came close! I knew that my goal was big, and it would take big things to get me there! However, no matter how grueling some of those training runs were the moment I crossed that finish line in 3:29 it was SO worth it!
Allie says
There is just SO much truth here. It’s all about work, work and more work and there’s no faking your training on race day. I love this post because so many people have the misconception that because you reach your goals, it’s somehow easy. None of this is easy. Ever. Even my “best” races, where I felt good and the weather was perfect, were grueling. That’s just the nature of the beast though, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Jen Correa @ Mom's Gotta Run says
This is so true and I’m grateful that you put into words the truth and the work behind these type of goals. It’s easy to see a finish line picture and think how lucky that person is and how you could never do that. BUT it really is about what you are willing to do and sacrifice and how important it is to you. Before I agree to any marathon, there has to be a discussion with my husband and a look ahead at my work and life calendars. It is a commitment that you cannot understand until you have done it.
Sarah says
I think I liked Chicago so much was because I loved having a coach, the idea of having someone to answer to, who was making my schedule and I didn’t want to miss a workout and really I didn’t. Boston was so different. If I didn’t have you telling me to go run, I never ever would have reached my goal purely due to the weather. I’m happy to take a break from marathon training… But oddly I find myself jealous of the Chicago entry instagrams haha. i am just seeing this now as I went on vacation right after the race but I’m forever a Race Pace Runner! You’re the best and I still can’t believe I broke 4 hours!!!
Susan - Nurse on the Run says
I’ve thought about this a lot when trying to figure out my goals for races, training, and life. When I decided to do a half Ironman last year, the idea of training for it excited me, but looking at training schedules freaked me out! So many workouts – what about the rest of my life? I decided it wasn’t worth giving up time with friends, traveling to places that wouldn’t be convenient for training, etc. I still had a fun race – probably not to the best of my ability, but I’m happy with it. There are running goals I’d like to reach, and I think that I’d have to totally throw myself into training to get there. Being one of those “get up way early to squeeze in a run before an early flight” person instead of “well, guess that run won’t be happening this week” person. As a casual runner (as in…no one pays me to do this!), I wonder about the value behind chasing the goals I set for myself versus missing out on other fun things in life. It’s a balance.