This morning I went for a run with three ladies whom I have the utmost respect for. I had the honor of acting as a coach for them in KatyFit's 5K program this past Spring, and I am so proud of each of them for moving on to participate in our marathon and half marathon training program. I am even honored to act as a coach again for two of them!
These girls are tough. They're moms, two of them with young preschool age children, and the third has older children, a son in junior high, and is even about to be a grandma any day now. So we're not talking wimps by any means. And beyond that, I have seen all three of these ladies work, and work hard, to start running, to train to run continuously (without walk breaks), and to run faster. I'm proud of them for sure, and I know they're proud of themselves, as they well should be.
That being said, our conversation today on our run centered around opinions. Opinions of other runners, and opinions of non runners. Neither one should be important, as truly only your own opinion matters, but sometimes they can be overpowering. Apparently, there is an opinion held that a slower runner (ie one who perhaps doesn't look like a runner and can't sprint by effortlessly at a blistering pace) is not a real runner. I call bullshit on that opinion. One of the ladies even shared with me that she had told a friend she was planning to run a Rock and Roll Half Marathon, and was responded to with the comment that "real runners don't do Rock and Roll events." Really? So, does that mean all those people who complete Rock and Roll Marathons and Half Marathons each year are not real? What are they - fake? Are there a bunch of zombies and mannequins out there, leaving a part of their hearts at each mile? I think not.
Fast forward a few hours to a discussion with a fellow KatyFit runner at the end of a local triathlon held today in Katy. She brought up to me that she, as well, feels slighted for being a slower runner. For the life of me, I cannot understand why. Is this truly an opinion held in the running community, or is this perhaps the misguided opinion of a few individuals, with some personal bias thrown in for good measure? I think (actually, I hope) it's the latter.
See, here's the deal. I'm a slower runner. I average about a 10 minute per mile pace on a shorter run (4 miles or less), and anywhere from a 10:30 - 11:00 pace for longer runs. By all means, it takes me just under two and a half hours to finish a half marathon. But, at that pace, I'm working just as hard as a faster runner would at their own individual pace. Everyone has their own pace, the one that works for them. You can train your body to run faster, for sure, but there's a point where genetics and body structure take over, and you just can't go further from there. I've even seen running shirts that say "Find Your Happy Pace," and when you find it, you know. It's fast enough to make you push it a bit, but it's slow enough that you're not killing yourself with every step. And if you're running at your own happy pace, you're a runner. No matter what.
Some people are born this way. They've got the runner's build, they've been running since they were kids, and they're fast. They're usually Kenyan, but I've seen a few Americans. I have the utmost respect for them. It takes a lot of work to train and to run like that. But, I wasn't born this way. I have a build pretty comparable to an apple, but I can get it to look somewhat like an hourglass if I work really hard. And that's the thing - it takes a lot of work and training for me to run like I do. So, if you want to compare paces and say I'm not a real runner, go right ahead. I know the paces aren't comparable, but if you look on the inside, at the true heart of a runner, you'll see. I wasn't born this way, but I'm a real runner, too. And in my dreams (and my heart), I'm a Kenyan.
