How to Run for You
December 27, 2023
When I was explaining my idea of ‘Run for You’ to a client recently, they suggested that it would make a good post. So here we are, inspired by one of the people who seek inspiration from me, funny how that works. The idea of Run for You is different for everyone. What that means to me is different than what it means to you. Sounds like I am repeating myself, but to hear something in a different way may allow you to understand the idea more.
At one point in our lives, we were at the start line for our first 5k, 10k, 50k or 100k race. This is about the only thing all runners have in common. We were all once first timers. What got us to that start line, how we train, how we were feeling on the first start line, how we race, how we finish and how we recover are all individual. They are all what Run for You is all about.
Running with other people, whether in a race or a training run, can be very intimidating. You may see someone you recognize at a group run and think that they are too fast for you, and you are in the wrong group, you may think that they are too slow for you, and you are in the wrong group. Sizing up the competition is human nature, but 99% of the time you don’t know their story. The person you perceive as being too fast may be returning from an injury, they may be tapering for a race, they may have brought a less experienced runner out and want to support them. There are a multitude of reasons why they may be there, and you probably don’t know any of them. All you can do is Run for You.
Racing is the exact same. I was running the Edmonton Marathon one year and started out with a couple of people in knew. We had talked about pace, and I was comfortable with the pace they were going to run. The trouble is they ended up running much faster and caused me to blow up later in the race because I tried to keep up with them longer. I did not run my own race. I got caught up in things and paid for it. As you train for a goal race, you are probably running at specific paces, and you build your comfort at your body’s capabilities. You learn how our body feels on a good day and on a bad day. You learn if you run better in hot or cold temperatures, hilly or flat courses. These are all things that no one else knows. These are also things that you need to learn about yourself and can only do through practise, success and failures.
This is what Run for You is all about. Knowing your ability to execute your goal race in a way you are comfortable with.
I was at the Invictus Games in the fall of 2023 and saw the Run for You concept up close and personal. Athletes from all over the world were there attending and competing in the games. Some of the most memorable reactions I saw were the people who finished in the bottom half of the competition. Everyone there had a story and achieving a personal best for themselves or even just being there was much more meaningful than winning a medal. Each athlete knew what they were capable of and were only focused on themselves and their journey.
Everyone has a story. That story dictates how they approach an event and how they feel about their accomplishment at the end of the event. It is hard not to compare yourself to others, especially at a race, but allow yourself to remember that you don’t know their story. Focus on your own story and Run for You!
Coach Dave
