Is Finishing Enough?

So I have recently read several of Dean Karnazes' books, and last week was checking out his online profile (web page, Runner's World blog etc.) when I came upon his March 11th entry where he discusses the record setting time for the Marine Corps Marathon to fill to capacity. Coincidentally, this was going to be the first marathon to which I was going to commit to traveling.

If I may here is the quote that most got my attention:

....The “Oprah Effect,” as it’s been called, has drawn leagues of mid-packers into marathoning just to add another achievement to their mantel. They’re not real runners, it's been said......Is the fact that more and more people are running marathons, but at a slower pace, a bad thing?

I have had the fortune of running in many half marathon or longer races and have, over the past year, kept myself registered for a race continuously. By being registered, I always felt there was a larger reason to maintain my running schedule apart from my own well being. I figured, if I put money down on a race, I was going to be holding the medal and wearing the shirt the day after as a badge of achievement. In fact, over the past couple of months, I tried to compete in as many races as I could before the weather turned. In two of the races I got my worst times ever, while in two I earned back to back PR's. So I was feeling like this was the way to go. Although I no longer worry about not finishing, I don't always give my best effort (or my best effort isn't always very good).

So coming across Dean's statment gave me reason to pause. Am I just a mid packer who is keeping competative athletes from getting into races? I would have dismissed this very idea if it hadn't been for a kind person who was working a water table at the last race I entered. She and I were talking after I finished and she was amazed at the number of people who entered the race just to walk to the finish. She was a competative runner. She wasn't there to finish or PR, she was there to win. She believed that there was no reason to enter unless you planned on winning at least your bracket.

Now, I have only been running a short time, but I have never entered a race with the intention of not finishing, but I also held no illusion that I would win bracket or otherwise. In fact, as I have increased in age and moved from one bracket to another, I have found myself more outpaced by others in my new age group. I can only assume that as you get older, fewer people enter the sport and more drop out.

After this year, I was considering how I wanted to continue to approach running. I felt very motivated to try and push farther and harder. Reading Dean Karnazes' book continued this feeling, but at the same time I felt very content to finish. But now I'm feeling that I must be part of this mid-packers' syndrome trying to get a new medal for my mantle. Unlike Karnazes, I like my medals and am proud of them all, even the PW's I earned while recovering. Each one feels like a testament to my hard work, dedication, and lonely time on the trail. I was considering pushing onward to more marathon length races, and am considering an ultra or a tri. I am currently cycling to work 20 miles a day three days a week in the hopes that I could get conditioned for a sprint tri or longer.

Although I can't be sure, I don't believe I've ever entered an event where my being there has prevented someone else from running, but if the Marine Corps Marathon is an indicator, selling out in 2:41 is an unbelievable speed. Even if I wanted to run in it, I never would have gotten a slot, and how many competitors are now kicked out of the competition becuase they couldn't get registered. In fact, I look at running local races as a way of helping to support local communitites of runners and know that they have never closed due to capacity.

Should I be content to just run? I got into longer distances becuase I wanted to see what my body could do and I get excited by the prospect of running a race, even if I have no chance of winning. Should I change my mindset to get away from simply getting a PR and focus on moving up in the pack to win my bracket? Entering the sport, so late in my 30's does have its disadvantages. I think I'm gonna keep getting medals, maybe be slightly more selective, and keep plucking away at my PR's. Maybe I will get those low enough where the PR's are in line with the front of the pack instead of the middle or back. Who knows.

St. Pete Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon

Long over due, but here is my experience during the St. Petersburg Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. Leading up to the race my daughter had dancing competition in Lakeland, so I was going to be driving a truck with all the props back from Lakeland at 11:00 PM the night before. Although I had known this ahead of time, I didn't realize the impact this would have on my performance.

As the race approached, the event planners released parking details which required us all to pay $10 to park and then an additional $5 for vouchers for a bus ride from the finish to the parking area. We were welcome to park off site (and pay local rates) but you could be walking a mile or two to get to the start and back from the finish. Although this seemed extreme and there was a lot of discussion about this leading up to the race, it was no more than what was going on across the Bay over at the Gasparilla preparations. The one irritation was that you also had to pay $10 to park to attend the expo where you would get your packet pick-up. They did not allow anyone to do pick up in your place, and did no on site pickup the morning of the race. This meant you had to make two trips and potentially pay $20 worth of parking fees. I was able to park on the street to attend the Expo and pick up my materials early enough to avoid the fees.

The Expo was ok. Not nearly as big as Disney and not as big as Gasparilla. There was nice Brooks running gear with the Rock 'n' Roll logo (all sized very small) so I didn't buy anything. Packet pickup was quick and easy and the t-shirts were nice.

 

As explained, I was driving a truck back from Lakeland (about an hour) the evening before, but I also had to pick up the truck and take it to Lakeland that morning at 7:00 AM. So all told, the day before started at 5:30 and ended when got to bed around 1:00 AM. I knew I would be out most of the day, so I had made my preparations for the run the day before so I could come home and collapse. The race started at 7:00 AM so I planned on being at the parking lot at 6:00 AMor so. But, the parking was backed up all the way onto the interstate, and it took me 30 minutes to get parked. As always, I did my normal prep for the race and was waiting in line to use the portapotties, and by the time I made it to the front, they were singing the national anthem. I was running to bag check to find out it was closed and ran another half mile back to my car to drop my bag and deal thhe the repercussions at the finish. I thoughfully grabbed my bus voucher so I wouldn't be stranded at the finish.

By the time I made it to the start, my wave had long since been started as did the pace group with which I was hoping to run. I jumped in and started. I had already been running, and I hadn't really had a chance to get myself mentally prepared. I was frantic and tired. Not to mention it was cold! (Well cold for me, it was in the 40's). I had finally bought some running gloves, and wore a jacket. I was glad to have the goves, but I wish the jacket would have disappeared. I didn't have time to find a disposable jacket, so I wore one I wanted to keep. I tied it around my waist and kept going. The course was nice enough (downtown St. Petersburg), but I found the water stations to be manned by lots of kids who were not always in tuned to what they were doing. Also, we were told that any discared clothes would be picked up and given to a shelther. What they didn't tell us was that our clothes were being snatched up off the ground nearly as fast as they came off. It was a little creepy.

The bands were nearly every mile and were a great mix of blues and rock. There was some great entertainment, and the course was nice and flat. The beginning of the course was all downtown, and the end was all near the pier and park. I enjoyed the run, but got an asthma attack at the end. I made it the last couple of miles at a decent clip, but it didn't make up for the time I spent going slow and I paid for the increased pace with a demoralizing finish where I found a patch of grass and collapsed to the sweet rocking sounds of Flo Rida. Thats right, I finished just in time to see the headliner. Unfortunately our race was scheduled the same day as the Grammy's, and all major acts had to be in California for the show. This meant that many people didn't get to see the beginning of the show since he went on at 10:00 AM.

Generally, I had a great time but the punishing weekend events the day before took their toll and I walked away with a pretty poor time. Not quite my worst, but for such a cool day and with no shin pain, I should have done better. I do have my Inagural medal, but I was not very competative, even with myself.

 

Rock On!