At about 3K, I begin asking myself why I do this? Why do I chase these silly goals I put in front of myself? By the time I finish….my face pretty much shows how I feel. But magically…within 3 minutes…I’m already thinking ahead to the next one.
It’s funny, an article sent by a friend recently reminded me that at 45, I am by all scientific evidence, beginning to slow down and that the wonderful effects of aging are starting to show. Not a lot, but a little. It also went on to say that I’m probably in denial about it. Yeah…pretty much.
The truth is, my entire athletic journey has been one built on denial. I’ve refused to believe that anything is outside my grasp if I work hard enough. I’m smaller , less muscular and for the most part getting involved in most of this really late. Yet, in my mind, I am within reach of so much and I will keep reaching as long as I can..which is probably the rest of my life.
Earlier this summer, after coming off my win at the Bad Beaver Ultra, I decided to revisit my goal of running a sub 18 minute 5K. My personal recorded best in a race is 18 min 13 seconds. (My personal best is 17:50 or something..but that’s unofficial and only by my Garmin so I can’t count it.)
It’s been tough trying to retrain my fast twitch fibers, but I truly believe I can do this. If not this fall, then I’ll patiently wait until spring and continue training for it through the winter using snowshoe racing as the spring board.
If age has shown me one thing, it’s how to be more patient with some of goals. If my experience has shown me anything, it’s that denial can sometimes lead to me achieving my goals.
So, why quit now? I have big plans! For those of you who refuse to accept the status quo or are denial…keep on keeping on!
Cheers!
cstruns 