12 Races in 12 Months
Background
I'm not what I would consider a "runner". I'm not tall and lean. I don't relish the idea of getting up at 6:00am to get in "a few miles". But I wanted to make a change in my like style. I've played hockey for years, trained with a personal trainer, practiced some kickboxing, and played some other sports. I noticed as I was getting "slightly" older I wasn't able to compete like I once could. It was time to look for something else I could get involved in.
I'm a first time blogger so go easy on me.I decided I wanted to document my decision to try to complete 12 races in 12 months. First a little about me. I turned 44 years old in October. I've always been in relatively good shape but wanted to change things up a little. I could easily keep doing what I was doing to stay in the same shape but I wanted to see what changes I could make in my fitness level if I had a race as a goal every month for a year. I wasn't disappointed with my fitness level but I've never felt like I made that next step. I also thought about the definition of insanity, "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." So I decided I would compete in some sort of race every month. This way I couldn't allow myself to get to far away from being in good shape around the holidays and other down times.
So why am I creating a blog? Well I've always avoided running races because I thought they were for elite runners. I've run on and off over the years to keep in shape but I don't love running and I thought I wouldn't ever want to part of the various races that are ran throughout Oregon. However, I enjoy competition even if that competition is with myself. So I thought I might document my experiences and allow you to see what I went through in case you were on the fence about doing a race or had advice to offer.
As I said I've run off and on over the years to keep in shape. About four years ago I thought "How far could I run?" I started out running a couple of miles. I learned that pace is the key. I can run a few miles with a solid pace, or run a solid distance at a much slower pace, but I can't do both. After spending the summer of 2011 practicing I ran my furthest distance ever of 11 miles. I was thrilled that I got that far and essentially put running on the back burner after that.
In 2015 I started to get that bug again. When I ran 11 miles it was by myself and not in a race. I decided to put a little pressure on myself and do a once in a lifetime half marathon. I figured if I signed up and paid for the entrance fee I would stick to a plan of running on a regular basis. In April of 2015 I finished my first half marathon and was pleased with my time of 2:38, or a pace of 12 minute miles. After this race, running reverted back to a once in while thing.
Maybe I had some weird midlife crisis on my birthday in October but I decided I wanted to kick up the activity level, change up the routine, and let's see what's out there for someone of my age to compete in.
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