Racing Wisdom

As you know, last weekend I ran my first ever 5K race. My first race of any length, for that matter. It was an exhilarating experience, for both the body and the mind. Below is what my mind got out of the experience. And, all of this can apply to organizing … which makes it even more fun. (And gives you even more insight into my mind … just about everything in one way or another, circles back to organizing. I don’t necessarily endorse this … I guess it’s just a quirk with the way my brain is wired.) Alright … back to the race.

Lesson 1: The first mile is the hardest.

This was the time to pace myself and build up confidence. The building up confidence was an interesting thing to do as I watched many (OK … most) of the other racers run past me. I could have felt upset that everyone was passing me – but I knew this race was about me and my goal – and not about winning in the traditional sense. My race had nothing to do with the other racers … they were just there to share in the experience with me … although I’m certain none of them looked at it that way. It was kind of fun to see all sorts of people I know run right on by … I didn’t even know some of them ran at all … until I saw them speed by me in a flash.

Lesson 2: Knowing precisely why you’re doing something and what you want out of it (a.k.a. your goals) keeps you focused.

This is clearly why I felt great during the race in spite of being passed by so many runners … including a dad pushing two kids in a stroller (yes two.) And if that wasn’t funny enough, shortly there after came a mom pushing one!

Lesson 3: Baggy shorts don’t flatter.

In other words, choose the right container for your assets and you’ll be much happier. Enough said.

Lesson 4: Life is more fun with a cheering section.

At around the start of mile 3, I rounded a street corner to see my husband Jay and my two kids cheering me on. My son started running along with me … grinning and cheering the whole way. It totally cracked me up. Think I wasn’t motivated to finish? Whenever you tackle something new — something big for you — mobilize your cheering section. Sure, accomplishing a goal is rewarding on its own merits – but a cheering section is icing on the cake.

Lesson 5: The final mile is the hardest … if you have to use the bathroom.

Looking back I recall having plenty of energy to sprint across the finish line. Every time I ran during training (and in fact, I’ve been doing this for years) I end my race sprinting — visualizing myself crossing the finish line in a race. Now, I have to tell you, never in the years I’ve been running have I visualized myself barely jogging across the finish line and then sprinting to the porta-potty. And yet … that was the reality. So, yes, this serves as a good laugh, but even better yet, a chance to improve next time around. Next time, I will read ALL of Runner Mom (a big key in my actually running in this race, by the way) including the part that talks about hydrating in the days prior to the race — a much more effective approach than trying to play catch-up with my hydration on race day.

So once you’ve crossed the finish line, on your next race or organizing project, first and foremost, give yourself a high five. Then, take some mental notes about what you could do differently next time to make the experience even more rewarding. And then, finish up with just one more high five!

Oh … here’s a picture that proves lessons 3 and 4 😉