Mid-Week Musings: Comparing Yourself to… YOURSELF

Posted by hellyontherun in Running and tagged with Coming Back From Injury, Comparing, Running February 3, 2016

I find as I’m coming back from injuring, wishing for the lost days of yore.

We often hear that’s it’s unproductive, and sometimes downright harmful, to compare ourselves to others. Even though we know this, it’s difficult to stop. Someone runs faster, runs longer, and we want to do it too.

And maybe we used to be able to and now we can’t.

I’m finding that it’s not any better to compare yourself to yourself–yourself when you were at a level that for whatever reason you no longer are.

A couple of nights ago I found myself looking at old Instagram pics and seeing paces I’ve not seen in a while.

“I used to run fast,” I told my husband.

“You still do.”

“But I haven’t run at that pace in years,” I sighed.

You’d think I’d understand that I’m coming back from an injury and that I can’t expect to be flying, but I can’t help but think of what was different back in the days when I ran a 25:05 5k. An 8:00/mile pace!! A 2.87 5k (short course) averaging 7:41/mile! And my 5k PR of 24:18–a race done in the freezing Ohio rain.

I’d be lucky if I could run ONE 8 minute mile now.

Why do we do this? Comparison can be used to motivate but it can also cripple someone mentally. There’s such a fine line.

Right now, my old self is on that line. Some days, I look back at those pictures and get pumped. I can do this! I’ve done it! And other days, I feel like there’s no way I’ll see those numbers again.

But I think right now it’s important for me to focus on the present. I shouldn’t be working on becoming someone I was a long time ago, I should work to be a better version of me–in many different ways.

The me then was thrilled to be running after having two kids in two years. That excitement was what helped propel me to paces and PRs that I never ever thought I could achieve. I feel that person now, that excitement to be back running after a shorter hiatus. And I know I’m a better version of myself now than back then because I know more. I know more about training, diet, mental strength. I’m stronger on a lot of levels. And I know that with hard work, I can be faster than back then.

And in the future, I’ll look back at the me now and know I’ve only gotten better.

I got this.

–Do you compare yourself to yourself?
–How do you help yourself focus on the present?

Week in Review

Posted by hellyontherun in Running and tagged with Running, Weekly Mileage February 1, 2016

I feel like last week was my first week in a long time where I finally felt back on track running and working out consistently.

I long ran Sunday so Monday I rested and did planks and bridges at home. I’m feeling so much stronger with my planks (more about this later).

Tuesday I planned our day so that I could run with my running group in the evening. Our gym allows for daycare on Tuesday evenings since the group run is part of their weekly workout schedule. With my husband out of town, I finally took advantage of this so I could run outside with friends.

It was a glorious run.

8:42, 8:51, 9:03, 9:06

I just felt good. I felt I could have gone even faster but reeled myself in and made sure I pushed but not too hard.

Wednesday I was back at the gym and tried out my new pair of Asics Cumulus on the treadmill. I’ve been using my Newtons on the road but thought they felt weird on the treadmill. When I bought the Newtons, the other pair in the running (see what I did there) were the Asics and ultimately I chose the Netwons. But remembering this, I went to an Asics Outlet and bought the Cumulus for treadmill running since I knew I’d be doing it a lot more now that my husband is traveling often.

I went for an easy 2 miler and felt fine. It had been easily over a year since I last ran on the treadmill!! I then rode the bike for 20 minutes, more planks, more bridges.

Thursday was a 4 miler on the treadmill. I’ve never minded the treadmill; I know many abhor it, but it’s never been an issue for me. I get caught up people staring or just thinking about random things. Now, they’ve upgraded, and each treadmill has a T.V. I simply put HGTV on and totally zoned out on House Hunters. The miles/time flew by.

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Back at the gym on Friday for 30 minutes on the bike, planks, and bridges.

My husband was home for me to run my long run with buddies on Saturday morning and me and Runner Jenny ran 7 miles together. They felt good, they felt easy, and we surprised ourselves with our pace! We had chatted the entire way 🙂

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That evening my husband challenged me to a wall sit challenge and I made it to a minute and thirty! He killed me on the plank going for 4 minutes but I did a plank PR at 1 minute and 15! I also love side planking and always do those too 🙂 Overall, it was a fantastic week and I’m feeling like all this gym time cross training and working on my core has helped.

Total miles: 17

–How was your running week?

–What’s your wall sit/plank PR? There’s this girl I follow on Insta, Run Rhea Run, who did a 20 minute plank once!! She’s also ridiculously fast.

Friday Five: 5 Running Dreams That Probably Won’t Come True

Posted by hellyontherun in Running and tagged with Dreams, Racecations, Running January 29, 2016

I think it’s normal to dream about races you’d like to run someday–the really crazy, far, expensive, ones that make it unlikely you’ll ever participate in them. I’m not the only one that does this, am I? 😀

It’s “Free Friday” in the DC Trifecta world of Mar, Cynthia, and Courtney and today I’m sharing 5 Running Dreams That Probably Won’t Come True, lol!!

1. ) The World Majors

These marathons include Berlin, Tokyo, Boston, London, Chicago, and New York City. I’ve got one down (Chicago!) but the others are an expensive stretch. I love that running also allows me to travel and maybe throughout my entire lifetime, I might make these happen. I think it’s kinda funny though, that the toughest one is in the states–I’d have to qualify for Boston, jaja!!

2.) New York City Marathon

Speaking of the majors, one that’s in the states is NYC and while it’s not impossible that I would do this one, the impossible part is how I would want it to happen. My brother wants to do one marathon and the one marathon is this one. I’d love to do it with him. I’d love for my sister to do it too. And it’d be even awesomer if my husband could too. Yeah, there’s the impossible part. The likeliness of ALL of us making the lottery in the same year….not very good. But one can dream! 😀

3.) Disney Dopey Challenge

I’ve never been a crazy Disney person and with recent price increases, it’s even less likely that I’d do a Disney race, BUT, if I was to it would be the Dopey Challenge in Walt Disney World. The reason this is a unlikely dream is because this is the costliest of all the Disney races. You’re basically paying for 4 races– a 5k on Thursday, a 10k on Friday, a 1/2 marathon on Saturday, and a full marathon on Sunday. Final price: right around the $600-700 range!! That is NOT including price of park admission (which is insanity), NOT including air fare or hotel accommodations. Yeah, this race-cation could easily get you to the several thousand dollar range when all is said and done and for that amount, wouldn’t you want to do a World Major Marathon somewhere in Europe?? LOL

Bling from the Dopey Challenge–Source: RunDisney Mom

4.) Western States 100

I never say never, but it’s very unlikely that I’ll ever run a 100 miler but if the crazy in me was to ever come out the one I’d want to do is this one. Of course it’s not one you can simply sign up for, no, that would be too easy. You have to run a qualifying race and then enter the lottery. Double whammy. What makes the Western States 100 race so special is this prestige that comes with having qualified and been selected. It’s also the oldest 100 mile trail race and gives you life-time bragging rights if you complete it. Why does this sound so cool to me?

5.) Boston Marathon

If I was to devote my life to any of the races on the list, it would be this one. I think it’s easy to say that many runners dream of running this big race. At over an hour away from my qualifying time though, I’ve got a ways to go BUT I know that this one isn’t entirely an improbability. Recently, I’ve come across quite a few Instagrammers and bloggers who have shared their transformation stories of how they’ve become the runners they are now. Many started at or near what my current marathon PR and have bettered their times to comfortably below their BQ requirement.

This one’s possible ❤

–Do you have any running related dreams?

Thanks for hosting Mar, Cynthia, and Courtney!!