Twice within the past two weeks I was reminded that the best-laid running plans sometimes set us up for disappointment — and that’s ok! I’ve found that great disappointments serve as the greatest running motivation.
Un-happy Global Running Day
It was recently the holiest day of the year, for runners, anyway. Global Running Day arrived on June 7th and the holiday showed up bearing the absolute worst gifts. I opened the front door to the unwelcome sight of a hazy skyline and the discomforting smell of smoke permeating the air. I had seen news of smoke from the Canadian wildfires spreading into New York and moving along the east coast of the U.S., but living in Richmond, Virginia, I didn’t think it would affect me. Wrong.
The air quality wasn’t as bad as in the Big Apple, but it was clear to see, despite the haze, that I couldn’t safely run on my favorite day of the year. I had “big plans” for sharing my observance of the holiday in a blog post and on Instagram. While I could have simply celebrated a day or two later, I honestly wasn’t sure what I would write about the day, anyway. Ironically enough, not being able to run due to the poor air quality inspired the idea for this blog post. And, truthfully, I needed the rest day, anyway.
Running solo
The following week, I planned to run the Old Port Half Marathon in Portland, Maine, with my two brothers. You can read here how that plan was thwarted, but suffice it to say, we each were forced to run alone. Unexpectedly running solo with no goal to chase was challenging, but what kept me motivated to finish strong was knowing I’d be able to celebrate with them afterwards over beers.
Additionally, showing up ten minutes late to the starting line gave me a different perspective on racing and the important role other racers play in my race day experience. Oh, and it taught me an invaluable lesson about bib pickup.
When you get lemons…
I’ve previously written about the happy accident that was my first marathon. COVID abruptly canceled my April 2020 race just one month out, as well as my brother’s upcoming race. Rather than sulk and stop training, my brother found the motivation to create a new USATF-certified, professionally timed marathon to hold during the pandemic when racing wasn’t possible.
So instead of finishing the other marathon among hundreds of strangers in an unfamiliar location as planned, I had the unique pleasure of racing alongside more than a dozen family and friends at a special marathon right in the backyard of our hometown. It will always be the most meaningful race.
The half-full marathon
I had just finished my most intense marathon training block and was in the best shape of my life ready to PR at the 2022 Richmond Marathon. My PR was earned a year ago at the 2021 race.
Just one month prior, I saw the heatwave crash against the New York City Marathon, and lamented it was a shame the nearly 48,000 runners had to suffer through the high temperatures at such a momentous occasion.
“I waffled more than a 9-year-old boy struggling to choose his favorite flavor of Eggo waffles in the freezer section.”
I’m not one to complain about bad weather, but I started to worry when the weather at the beginning of my race week was feeling unseasonably warm for mid-November. I spent most of the week as a grumpy old man: obsessively checking the forecast every hour as I sat indoors on the couch and complained about the high temperatures. Hey, at least I wasn’t yelling at clouds or shouting at people to get off my lawn.
As I weighed the pros and cons of running 138,435 feet in unfavorable conditions, I waffled more than a 9-year-old boy struggling to choose his favorite flavor of Eggo waffles in the freezer section at the grocery store. Do I run the marathon for fun or skip it and find another one to do? Ultimately, I decided the night before to give the marathon a go, and if the weather was too much to bear, I’d simply stop.
I don’t recommend going into a race with uncertainty. What became certain rather early on in the race: it was too warm to earn a PR, with temps starting in the mid-60s and rising. I called it quits at the halfway point of the marathon which was, quite fortuitously, where my home was located. I felt equal parts disappointment and relief as I stopped in the middle of the course and walked home for what seemed like the longest block of my life.
Switching gears
I vowed to find another fall marathon to do soon. Unfortunately, the Richmond marathon is held so late in the fall that the remaining autumn marathons were either located in another part of the country or fell on a weekend that conflicted with scheduled plans. Needless to say, I would have to wait until spring to run one.
I was a bit crestfallen, but after taking time to reflect, I made the decision that all my training wouldn’t go to waste. I would build upon the foundation of training I established to become even more fit for my next race. Plus, the hiatus would give me even more time to train. I knew I wouldn’t reach my goal of breaking three hours at the Richmond Marathon, but perhaps additional months of training would get me there. I was as motivated as ever in my pursuit.
Fast forward through four grueling months of training, and the Newport News One City Marathon finally arrived. While I didn’t run under three hours, the additional training block allowed me to focus more on speed work — something severely lacking in my previous training block. Without that additional training, and if the weather conditions had been ideal for the Richmond marathon, I would have performed far worse than my sub-3:06 time at the One City marathon.
The bright side
I recognize many runners experience disappointments far worse than the insignificant examples I listed. I’m in no way comparing myself to other runners, and I recognize how fortunate I am. While mine are all small and inconsequential instances of plans not going accordingly, these disappointments motivated me to always look for the silver lining in any situation.
“I have big plans for 2023 and 2024, and I’d be a big fool to believe everything will go according to plan.”
Does everything happen for a reason? I understand both sides of the argument, and I think the answer depends largely on life experience and religious/spiritual beliefs. I don’t have a firm belief on it. Rather, what I do believe is that what happens to you isn’t as important as how you react to it. Runners are no strangers to adversity, whether due to injuries, disappointing race performances, or life getting in the way. It comes with the territory of hammering roads or trails day after day. It’s how we react to adversity that defines us.
I have big plans for the remainder of 2023 and, already, for 2024, including fall 2023 and spring 2024 marathons. I’d be a big fool to believe everything will go according to plan. However, regardless of any disappointments, I’ll be motivated to run down the right path and stay on course to where I’m meant to go and who I’m meant to become as a runner and, more importantly, as a person.
