So this past year — well, summer mostly — I’ve started to get back into running. I’ve never been a good runner. I used to hate running. I was slow and had pretty poor endurance for my whole life. I played soccer, basketball and tennis, all sports that involved short sprints and not sustained running. I’ve always been envious of people who could run mile after mile and who regarded running as a sort of escape or relaxation (What!?). I was determined to be a runner. Last summer I purchased a running outfit and set off to run my heart out. It didn’t last too long since I once school started running went to the bottom of my priority list and the cardio machines at the gym looked eons easier to handle.
Sporadically throughout the school year, I would “go for a run” usually only running about a mile or so and speedwalking the rest. I was determined to keep up with it, though, and finally become a better runner. I went out for “runs” a lot and eventually was able to keep running for longer periods of time. I actually started to look forward to my morning runs. I loved the way I felt after I pushed myself. So, naturally, I thought about doing a 5k.I hadn’t been tracking my miles and thought running 3/4 of a 45 minute work out had to be enough to warrant a 5k race. Wrong. Once I mapped it out I realized I’d hardly been running more than 2 miles. I know I probably could train myself to get to that 3.1 mile mark and beyond, but the race is now just over a week away and I’m losing confidence.
I still want to do the race. I want to complete my first 5k. I do love running now, it’s probably my favorite way to get cardio exercise. But my mind keeps going back to the fact that I’m not a natural born runner. I’m not meant to race. I’m slow and clunky and probably have horrible form. I’ve heard a ton of peoplesay that racing is a mind game — you just have to beat your head. But that’s the problem — my head won’t shut up. I feel like I’m losing already.
I suppose I’m looking for advice. Any of you guys who do races — what was your first race like? How do you think I should train? Should I give myself more time and sign up for a race later in the year? Any useful running tips in general? Haha, no one in my family runs, either, so I don’t really have anywhere to turn for advice except running magazines that still seem for far more advanced runners than me. Oh yeah, and what are your favorite running shoes? I definitely need to invest in a new pair 🙂