Guest Post: Musing, thinking or just being daft ...by Pat Walsh

 ** Musing, thinking or just being daft ** 🌤

Why do we run?
What we get from running? 
What we hope to get from running?
And why we don’t always get what we want from running?

Lots of people are running for various reasons, running for fun, friendship, headspace, social scene, health issues, just to get out of the house. Covid upset many of us but time to regain our roads.

There is also the very competitive section who train hard, race hard and fair play to them.

This is all fantastic but it does bring it share of problems. Why don’t we always get what we think we are capable of.

* Unrealistic expectations

You cannot take up running or return after a long break and set the bar too high. Running a Marathon after a few months is a recipe for disaster. 

Injuries, illness from fatigue, mental stress and taking too much out of the body will lead to loss of form and maybe stop running altogether.

By the same token you cannot be competing in shorter races at the front of the field in a few months. 

Most people up front have given years of planning and good coaching to get there.

The modern society thinks we can do anything, achieve anything in a short period of time. Sadly running does not conform to this. Be patient

* Improving too much, too soon and ending up injured.

With enthusiasm, energy and lots of training we can improve from a low base fairly quickly. All very good but it will come at a price on the Physio couch as our bodies (legs) cannot adapt quickly enough to match our goals.

Only by careful steady planning, slow improvement in pace and distance can we become runners without a litany of injuries.

You can cheat this get injured, come back, improve again, get injured again – or else – take it nice and easy, improve and increase slowly and you will still be in the same place in 3 years’ time with less Physios and having enjoyed it a lot more.

* Constant chasing PB’s

We all hear after a race. Did you get a PB? This is destroying some races and enjoyment from it.

People are avoiding hilly races as no PB, they won’t run unless feeling a 100% as no PB, they won’t use shorter races as a tempo guideline for form for another race down the road in case their friends think that is the best they have. Mad stuff

Run every race whatever way you want. You paid the entry fee, do what you like.

If it is hilly you won’t PB so promise to return next year to same course and beat that time then.

Better to finish with a smile for the camera, rather than kill yourself and have the horrible pic all over the internet. 📸📷

* I will be in trouble for next 2 but will say it anyway 

1. Couch to 5K in 6 weeks is dangerous. You cannot be inactive for years and get to 5K in 6 weeks without problems. Couch to 5K in however long it takes is the answer.

2. A Marathon needs a Year of steady training to build a base and the 6 months to fine tune the Marathon side. If you are running with a few Years then you have the base.

Fine if you want to walk / jog or take part in some challenge, but if you want to do it, enjoy it and not get injured or shattered then take your time and build to it.

* Think why you started running and are you still on that path?

Yes it is good to push it a bit. Get your times down, run your Marathon but please do it in a way that is safe, enjoyable, and sustainable and don’t lose the love of running and have to drag yourself out the door. Will you still be running in 30years? 👍🕺

If it was to just run, lose a bit of weight and have some fun then don’t be losing sight of that.

Be grateful for the Health to run. YOU ARE LUCKY.

Drive on, don’t despair, “nil desperandum” and don’t lose enjoyment. 

#PWR #keeponrunning