3 Tips for Running Your Own Race

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"Runners tend to be dissatisfied - with how fast they are, with how far they are able to go. 
While it's good to want to improve, you also need to value the runner you are today. 
While running, think about all the good you are doing in that moment - 
strengthening muscles, producing endorphins, taking time for yourself. 
Appreciation for running creates a healthy self-identity, no matter what chaos is in your life."

-Jennifer Armstrong w/ Mary Kibiloski & The Sakyong, from Runner's World Magazine (April 2013)


As soon as I officially signed up for my first marathon, I started going crazy reading blogs, articles, and anything else I could get my hands on about running. And let me tell you: there is a LOT. Shocking, I know. 

Running blogs and websites and articles--you name it, it's out there, and it's very easy to get caught up in the excitement and competition of it all and start comparing yourself to everyone else. 

At the start of the year, I made a profile on dailymile.com, which has been fun to log my workouts and keep track of all the running I've been doing (214 miles so far this year!). 

I knew, however, that it wasn't going to be any fun until I realized that I needed to stop worrying about all the miles everyone else was running and focus on myself. (Is anyone else excited that sometimes it's okay to be self-centered?) As I logged my workouts and saw what others were posting, it seemed like everyone was doing a better, faster, longer, harder workout than me. Those first few weeks I wondered if I was doing enough. 

Luckily, I realized the potential problem and nipped it in the bud before it became an actual problem. My biggest fear is that I will never actually make it to the marathon starting line in April due to an overuse injury. They say 40% of first-time marathoners don't get to run their first, often due to an overuse injury.

What I had to remember (and what I have to keep reminding myself even still) is that no matter what anyone else is doing, I have a plan that's right for me. 

Here are the main things I focus on that are helping me to run my own race and not anyone else's. Whether you're just starting out or are in the middle of training, I think these are always good reminders. 

• You don't have to run every day

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My marathon training plan calls for running 3 days/week. There are plans out there for 4 days, 5 days, etc. But I knew that 3 days was a realistic and achievable goal for my lifestyle. I run twice during the week (usually Tues/Thurs) and then once on the weekends. I add in cross-training when I can or want to, but this way I don't feel like marathon training is taking over my life, and I'm not stressed out about having to go out and run all the time. 

Just because someone else is going out every day doesn't mean you have to. Stick to the plan.

• You don't have to run far every time

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For the most part, during the week I plan for two 5-mile runs. Sometimes it's hard not to think I should do more when I see a post on dailymile or hear someone say, "I ran such and such many miles yesterday" or, "I'm running such and such many miles later today." But whether it's less, more, or the same as what I scheduled for, I'm do not change my plan. 

Changing the plan is exactly how you overdo it and injure yourself. Be confident, listen to your body, and don't go out and run 2 or 3 extra miles just because someone else is. (Unless you really want to.)

*Oh, and one more thing: never use the word only when you talk about your miles. Saying you "only" ran 3 miles is ridiculous. Just because someone else ran 6 or 10 or 15 does NOT make your 3 miles any less impressive. You are accomplishing someone huge, and you are selling yourself short when you say "only."

• You don't have to run fast every time

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This is the toughest one for me, because I am extremely competitive. Just like it's hard not to feel like I should do more miles, it's hard not to try to run faster. More than a few times I've heard someone say they were running at a "slow" pace, and their slow pace was fast for me! I know I've also made other people feel that same way when I say I ran "slow." 

I talked some about race pace here, but the main thing I try to remember is that everyone is different, and I need to train for the race I want to run--and that includes some slow runs. 

Not every training run has to be or SHOULD be done at a blazing speed. There is a lot to be said for recovery runs at a slower pace just to get the cardio and stretch your legs. This is not speed work, and if you run every training run the fastest you can, you will burn out. Save the fast times for tempo runs and, of course, the race. 

So that's what has been helping me stay focused on running my race these past 10 weeks for marathon training! 
Catch up on my weekly training recaps here. 

What is your biggest struggle when it comes to running your own race?