It’s okay to not have good races

Image courtesy of Olivia McLain

Sometimes it’s our worst races that make us the best runners. 

Every runner wants to finish each race with the rush of running a new PB (personal best). If you are a runner, it is really one of the best feelings you can have! But most times, that’s just not realistic, and that’s okay. Even as a collegiate runner who trains every day just to go out and race, I only PR (personal record) a few times a year (running 15 or more races a year). In fact, I haven’t beat my best 5K time in 2 years and I’ve run the 5K probably 10+ times since then. The good news is that if you're not PRing every time you go out and race, you know there is room for improvement.

One thing I’ve realized is that racing and hitting a new PR is amazing, but it’s not the only thing to run for. Every day that you go out to run is a gift and shouldn’t be taken for granted. As my college days of running become fewer and fewer, I have been trying to appreciate every day I run, whether it’s a normal Monday run or a big race where I ended up way off of my goal. Each day you run has something valuable for you to take away. And each time you don’t hit that PR, it makes it even more sweet for the time to come when you do.

If you’ve been stuck running the same race times for months or even years, try implementing something new into your training plan. If you’re doing base mileage as the bulk of your training, try adding in a speed workout once a week. 400m repeats at race pace or even mile repeats at tempo pace are both great workouts to implement. You can even create a workout with a mix of distances in it, the goal is just to do a few miles of work and to get your heart rate up almost to where it would be on race day. If doing a workout seems like a lot to handle, start small! It’s beneficial for any runner to add 100m strides to the end of a normal run 2+ times a week. This helps with turnover, or getting your legs used to running fast, especially after getting a little tired from a run.

On the other hand, if you are constantly feeling tired, take a day off running and swap it with a bike ride for about the same amount of time that you would be running. Make sure to get your heart rate up to around the level it would be if you were running (normally at least 120-130). Listening to your body and taking time to rest when needed is essential in the recovery process of training and getting closer to that PR.