Through a twist of luck and happenstance (I don't believe in fate) I have the opportunity to take part in a race which I thought I would miss out on this year. DirtRunning have organised an exciting 5 mile trail run through the woods of the Ashridge estate near Bedfordshire. As an amateur trail runner, the fact this is on my doorstep and through the trees is very exciting to me.
And when an opportunity to attend occurred this week I grabbed it with both hands.
Just recently I've been off my game. I feel like I've been taking running and my health for granted. Having lost a load of weight and really turned my lifestyle around this year, I felt old habits creeping back in and felt powerless to stop them.
Just the idea of having an event to train for has really boosted my spirits and got me focussed on healthy eating and living as well as the trainng. But this made me wonder why I need to have an event to train for to feel that I should take care of myself?
Surely the thing that makes great athletes or even great people great is the fact that they have the willpower and self discipline to maintain a chosen path regardless of outside pressures. How do you maintain a healthy lifestyle for yourself rather than your sport? Because one injury or one bad result can really spoil your self confidence.
It felt strange to realise that running had stopped being a release valve for stress. Instead the need to be good at it had become a source of stress and I look forward to runs now with an air of nervousness and reflect on them with a sense of disappointment. When did running stop being fun and become an obsession.
Maybe a long run will clear my head and help me find the answer...
Maybe try to look at the benefits you get as a result of the running rather than focussing on the run itself. So that the running is just one part of a number of different things you do to stay healthy. Also, perhaps set alternative challenges rather than time or distance - eg, getting a great photo while you're out or how many rabbits you see, just something silly to make it fun.
ReplyDeleteI used to run to keep fit, and now I find I keep fit to be able to run. I also feel guilty if I have missed a planned running session (or two) which is something that never used to bother me at all. That is probably a sign of doing too much. The endless pursuit of PB's is no doubt to blame. After all my years running I have only recently started timing myself and alot of the pressure I think lies there.. Back to basics I say, forget your time, the person in front of you or what time you completed the same course before , and go with the flow.....
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting idea. I'm not sure where the pressure comes from. I'm just not sure I could run without a purpose of co.manual improvement. I'm like this with most things, but not as bad as I am with running. Maybe if the challenge were great enough is finally be content. But I have a nasty feeling I'm on a collision course with an ultramarathon. Or an injury. Whatever comes first. Thanks for the comments, great hearing from people. How'd you find the blog?
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