Are you a runner?

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I rarely get down on myself about my pace. I’m not particularly fast at swimming, cycling or running, and that’s okay with me. I didn’t get into triathlon to win races. I do it because I genuinely love it.

That being said, this morning was one of those rare mornings when I found myself discouraged.

I set out to do 10 miles this morning before work. My run pace has been slower than normal the last couple of weeks. The first few miles of this morning were even slower and felt even harder than ever.

I worked an event until pretty late last night. It was early and I was tired. I’ve been training like a maniac lately, but I couldn’t rationalize any of that. I just felt bummed out.

Around mile 6, just outside of the Vinoy Hotel, I slowed my pace to a walk. I stood there for a minute and debated whether I should just call it a morning and cut the run short or if I should suck it up and keep going.

As I stood there a man walked out of the hotel and asked “are you a runner?”

Funny, I was just asking myself the same question.

I sheepishly nodded and he asked how much farther I was headed. I said about 4 more miles. He told me he was hoping to do a 4 mile loop and asked if he could tag along for a few miles. I said of course.

His name was Art, he was a rocket scientist from Texas, or something of the sort, and was staying at the hotel. He said he’d missed the St. Pete Road Runners group run that morning but still wanted to take advantage of a run on the beautiful waterfront.

Art asked me was my pace had been that morning. I looked down at my feet and muttered that I’d been averaging 12 minute miles all morning. I assumed he’d probably decide it was a bad idea to run with me, ask for some mile markers and get on his way. But instead, he replied “well, you’re going to go a little faster now”.

The ballsy statement took me by surprise but, I agreed. I needed that push.

We started our watches and were on our way. The pace felt faster but manageable. Like I said, I needed the push.

He had his Run Keeper app on his phone set to tell you, out loud, your time and pace every four minutes. A feature I would never enable by the way…

At our first 4-minute update my jaw nearly hit the ground when the voice told us we were half a mile in and running an 8:00 min per mile pace. It felt fast, but I wasn’t dying.

The next two miles we varied from an 8:00 to an 8:15 to 8:55. We parted ways after 2.5 miles and he head in the opposite direction as I finished my last mile and a half back home. Slightly slower, but still at a faster pace than I’d done on my own all morning.

Could I have kept up that pace any longer? Probably not. That’s faster than my 5k PR pace. But for those couple of miles I did, and that makes me proud.

I’ve been doing most of this training by myself. I forget how easy it is to get inside your head when you’re left alone with your thoughts and running for hours on end. This morning, I needed that little confidence boost, and I got it.

So yes, I am a runner. We all have good and bad days and I’m no exception. I do this because I love it. Fast or slow, I am a runner.

21 thoughts on “Are you a runner?”

  2. Funny how we can get stuck in our mind. Your post reminded me of a couple years back when I was training for the Goofy Challenge. I was on one of those long runs for my training, and I never thought I was going to finish. About 25K into my run, a man caught up to me from behind and starting talking to me. We started chatting, and we ran for about 6K. Had he not been there, I would have started walking as I was tired, and just not up to the task to go it alone. Funny, how when we sometimes need a push, something can occur to make it happen. Happy Running.

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  4. OMG I love this post! How awesome is it that Art just appeared? Sometimes we get answers real quick when we start to question ourselves. Of course you are a runner!!! Nice job Tori!

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  5. Love this. :) I’m not a fast runner, and usually I’m completely fine with that, but sometimes I do get a bit down on myself. Usually when someone who runs a 9:00 mile complains to me about how slow they are. But a runner is a runner, no matter the speed. (I’m currently struggling with whether I can still call myself a runner if I haven’t run in a month and likely will need to take the rest of the year off to recover from injury – I say yes, b/c I still think about running constantly, but on the occasional bad day I feel like a fraud for having a running blog while I’m not actually running.)

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  7. What an amazing, amazing post! I needed this reminder, too. After a year and a half of intense training, I decided to give myself a break in August – my monthly mileage dropped from 160+ to 58. I moved to a new (much hotter) state, started a new job, and am currently living out of a suitcase. Needless to say, I know I needed a mental and physical break from training. I know it’ll make me a better runner. More than anything, I know I can still identify as a runner even though I didn’t run as far, have weekly long runs, or worry about my pace.

    But, now, as I get back in to the swing of things in terms of training, I’m struggling. Every run feels hard. Keeping paces that used to characterize my “easy run” are tough. I find myself questioning my ability, my passion constantly. Am I a runner? Do I still have the same goals?

    Finally, this past weekend, someone reminded me that this is the challenging part of our sport that keeps us driven and fighting to achieve new milestones. That perspective, along with this post, are helping me get back on track. :)

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  9. “I’ve been asking myself the same question”.
    I love this post, because I’ve been having the same inner dialogue with myself lately. I ran a 5K a couple weeks back, and having been training with purpose for about a year, my time was 35 seconds SLOWER than my first 5K from December 2011. That course was a bear, and this most recent race was flatter than a 2×4.

    I have lost some speed, but I’ve added biking and swimming into the mix and haven’t worked much on sprints and speed.

    Still, if I grind out a workout with less than optimal vigor – the work still got done!

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  10. It’s easy to let the quitter inside take over, especially when you’re alone. First it disguises itself as accomplishment- “I’m already doing well, what’s a light day going to hurt?” Then after you’ve slowed down to think about it, your body already starts to love the new pace. The best thing to do is not think about it at all. Sing a song in your head or think about your breathing and try to slow it down. Push yourself above the standard and you’ll have something to be proud of. Succumb to mediocrity and you’ll only have yourself to blame. Everyone sets their own pace.

    I started running again recently after some injuries considered to be career ending. Mental toughness is what has enabled me to overcome that injury, correct my mechanics to prevent further injury, and get back out there. I’ve started slow again in terms of distance (10-15 miles a week, 2-3 a day), but have seen my pace increase from 7 mph to around 9 mph and my RHR go from an average of 75 down to the mid 50′s again and a record 41 a few days ago. Over the span of about 5 weeks, it hasn’t been pretty making this progress.

    Everyone has the mental tenacity to keep going. Patton said it’s because Americans love winners and hate losers. Everyone also has the capacity to lose to themselves. The battle is never easy, but sometimes it’s not about the outcome. I think runners understand this, which is why they always push themselves regardless. I’m glad to see you’re fighting the good fight and winning.

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  11. This is such a great post Tori! I am so glad you found an expected push! I think we all go through this dreaded feeling and the want to give up. I know I have been lately with the hip problems, but there is that tiny bit of motivation deep down and I find it a lot easier in all my awesome running buddies and bloggers that help keep me positive. :) you are an amazing athlete!

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