My car and I have been together for 10 years now, for thousands and thousands of miles for concerts and road races. Alas, it is wearing out, on 143,000 miles now. So almost every time I go out of town I hear the "your car is going to break down" chorus from my dad. I know he certainly has a point, but he has always specialized in paranoia. So I try to keep my out-of-town journeys to places my family is a familiar with.
So when some friends from my Zumba class asked me if I wanted to go to two snowshoe races on separate days about 70 miles away, I jumped at the chance to go along. While I am very grateful to be included, it certainly showed me a little different insight into the minds of some runners.
The lady that organized the expedition is 64, has only been running about two years, and is just naturally talented. She places most of the time, even in races of 1500. It seems, however, that is her almost her sole focus and motivation. She gets antsy during long award ceremonies.The minute she has the medal in her hand, she's ready to go home, as in grab your bag right now. She doesn't do fun runs where there aren't age groups and no medal and glory. Don't get me wrong, me and my buddies like hardware too. But we also run for enjoyment, and our own satisfaction. As I've spent more time on the circuit, I've learned myself to slow down and relax and just socialize with other runners. I did not enjoy being hustled out right after the race and not getting to talk to my buddies. This is a very nice lady, and I realize she was Captain of the ship, but time with these friends is something I don't like to give up.
But a more serious contrast of philosophy turned up on this trip, one I admit that I'm rather sensitive about. We had done two hard races on back-to-back days, and the Captain said "I don't know if I want to do that again." Maybe I was boasting a bit, but I said I've done it many times, even doing as many as three in a day, so I was used to it. And she said "yes, but we RUN the races!" she emphasized. I know for fact that the other lady that with us is also a run/walker like myself, but she is just faster than me. She also seems to share my attitude of just having fun with it and doing your best: in fact we are planning on walking (gasp, don't tell the "Captain!") a full marathon together in June. But that implication that I am less of an athlete for not running the whole thing bothers me. I know it is quietly there with some runners, but I truly think those that doing it for the love understand. I have extremely fast friends, and turtle friends like myself. \Most know that I am giving my very best effort, whether both feet are on the ground or not.
And that is what I politely told her. I know she is new to the game, and doesn't realize that you can't always run every step, and is probably not familiar with the Galloway method or John "The Penguin" Bingham." She may not know that Bill Rodgers won Boston one year with a four minute walking break, and that in the ultra-marathon game only the very elite can run every step. And that doing 30 half-marathons in 3 years, even if some were strictly walking, is an accomplishment worth being proud of.
She just recently did a 5-miler and wants to run a 10K this year. I wish her nothing but the best of luck. But I do hope she learns to run not just for the hardware, understand that others are not as gifted and will someday try a half marathon, even if she does have to walk part of it.
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