Recently my sister asked me to do a race with her the first weekend of June. I thought to myself as she said “with me,” “Does she mean run the ENTIRE race with her or just run the same race she is doing?” You might be wondering why would it matter, oh but it does!! It matter’s a lot to me.
As she was describing the race and how the owner of the local hamburger joint she went into while we hung out by the lake, told her the nitty gritty on the race, I was thinking “…it’s not really fun if I can’t race it.” She kept saying it would be fun and “The boys (meaning our hubbies) can watch the kids for us.” She named the price, the distance, and the course. And finally, as if this would reel me in for good, she said “There’s prizes for the overall finishers and the overall age group finishers.” She then threw in the “I’ll do the 5k and I am assuming you’d rather do the 10K.”
It’s as if she knew I wouldn’t consider the race if I had to run the entire distance with her. She knew I would be more tempted to say yes with there being prizes for the top finishers. See for me races are fun, and for her races are fun, but we have a different idea of “fun.”
My sister knows that it wouldn’t be a “fun” race for me if I was stuck running with someone who wasn’t serious about their time. My competitive spirit makes it hard for me not to aim for gold or at least try to run for it. My competitive spirit makes it hard for me not to constantly be chasing a PR.
For some there are “fun” races and then there are competitive races. My sister likes to do races for fun. To just be with other runners, enjoying the race and the presence of the other racers. Other times she’ll take a race “more seriously.” For me, races are viewed differently. I don’t divide “fun” races and competitive races. My races are always competitive races. Maybe it’s a personality difference.
Take the example of my husband and I’s difference in training. Lately he hasn’t taken his training as seriously, skipping workouts nearly every week, sometimes skipping entire weeks. It drives me nuts!! I shouldn’t care, because he’s the one racing his own race and I have my own race to run, but I do.
My training is followed to a tee!! Some days have to be cut short, but then I just switch days. I pour hours into training, so come race day I can have my “fun.” He says “I just run races for fun.” Many times family will ask me “Can’t you just race for fun?” I always reply “I always race for fun. It’s why I race, because it’s fun.”
Here in lies the difference: my idea of fun is taking racing seriously. If I show up to a race under prepared and under trained, the race wouldn’t be fun for me. I would be miserable and hurting more than I should be because of my lack of training. For me, racing is fun when it’s taken seriously. I go in with the mindset, “I paid good money for this race. I am not going to waste it.”
So, yes I do race for “fun.” Fun for me is being competitive and going for podium finishes. Fun for me is pushing my limits and getting a new PR. As much as it irks me that my sister and husband are sometimes under trained for races, I have to let it go. It probably irks them just as much that everything I do is taken so seriously.
I tried twice to race with my sister. To do a “fun” race. It was a 50k, both times, and by the end of the race we both wanted to pull each other’s hair out. Why? Well her idea of a “fun” race was taking it easy, drinking Pepsi at the aid stations, taking breaks and “enjoying nature.” I promised her husband I wouldn’t leave her since her longest training run was only 3 miles!! Yes, you read that right, she only ran as far as 3 miles before her first 50k in training.
My idea of a “fun” race was running until it hurt, and then running some more. Was powering up the hills, racing through the meadows, and trying to beat as many guys as I possibly could. To me frolicking in the meadows and getting cramps from all the soda wasn’t my idea of “fun.”
I try to explain to my family that it’s not that I have to be serious all the time, it’s that a race is only fun for me when I am competing and trying my best. I don’t know what it is. I feel cheated if I don’t race it, after all it’s a race isn’t it? I feel I have wasted my time and money if I don’t try my best come race day. You only get one shot at each race.
Is it a personality difference, or am I just so crazy obsessed and serious about running that I really can’t “race for fun?” I will argue until my death that a “fun” race is when competing and actually racing it, at least it is for me.
Maybe we’ll just agree to disagree. I’ll let you have your “fun” races, if you let me have my “fun” races. Deal?
Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit
What’s you idea of a fun race? Do you ever race for “fun”?
I feel the same way about racing. I don’t need to win but I need to do my best. And by best I mean a certain level of performance that I take pride in. My friends do not feel the same way as they think that I should not be disappointed with a race that is faster than what they can do but slower than what I can do when uninjured and after a solid block of training. They think that my attitude is all about winning and don’t really understand that our abilities and mindsets are all different and I am sure they would feel bad if their performance dropped off too. It does not make me happy to run a sub par race. It does not make me happy just to finish. When recovering from injury or not in good shape I would rather just do a workout at home and not interrupt my training with all that a race demands emotionally.
It is a struggle this year when I have encountered a lot of setbacks that did not allow me to get in a solid block of training. I am 37 now and I never give up hope of running well again but it will take more and more commitment and sacrifice than in years past. I am not so sure i will continue to race as I get older. But i know I will still train to be my best.
Thank you Charlene for your input. Racing demands so much for us. Maybe this is why it’s hard for me to not take it seriously. I have ran races injured and it wasn’t pretty, and left me defeated. Maybe I should take your advice and just sit the races out when I am injured and save myself the emotional setback it causes!!
Very interesting blog. You have such a profound way of looking at things. It’s truly inspiring to read your articles. You are on your way to a successful future.
I have always been one to do my best in my races, but as I’ve aged I’ve done a few “for fun” races and it wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t as satisfying. I have a very difficult time spending time and money for a lolly gag run. I have however, given myself permission to race at a pace that was not my best, but something I would still be ok with. That seems to do the trick if I’m not 100% on race day.
Lisa, I kind of like this approach. I always see other runners taking fun selfies, jumping in the and having fun, and my race pictures are all serious.
cassie, thank you. I am glad you stopped by the blog.
I am somewhere in the middle. I can appreciate both, but more and more I am finding that because of the raising prices, I can’t justify the more leisurely fun races. I feel like I have to commit to the fee and to the training and give it my all — and really those are the races that I walk away feeling most proud. I don’t think I’ll ever be competitive with other runners for podium finishes, but I am definitely competitive with myself. So I can appreciate the competitive fun. It’s rewarding fun.
vieve, I would agree it is a rewarding fun!!