10 days ago I ran my first full marathon. It was very challenging, especially because I was running on much less energy than my typical training run and the marathon experience I was expecting.
Today I ran a 5K race and made a new Personal Best record of 24 minutes, 50 seconds.
Both events were challenging and difficult to endure, and both left me feeling weak and nauseated. But they were very different from one another; and in comparison I realize that distance running is much easier for me.
The marathon was physically challenging; I felt sluggish or ill for much of it. Mentally I was fine - I was even singing silly songs and chattering with strangers. It didn't require much focus at all, only patience--patience to endure. On the other hand, racing at top speed for 3 straight miles is much more intense and requires mental and psychological strength.
For me, running fast is very uncomfortable. Not physically uncomfortable...just uncomfortable! Outside my comfort zone. Intense. Don't get me wrong, it gives me a thrill. But it takes an amazing amount of both discipline and COURAGE to keep up a fast pace when my mind is saying I can't do it, or can I just slow down, etc.. (in a marathon you can totally slow down and go at a comfortable pace) So the 5k requires mental focus and psychological endurance. For me personally it required much more mental discipline--training my mind with what I am allowed to think about, where I am allowed to look, and breaking it down into a series of 2-4 minute segments so I don't realize I need to keep up the intensity for longer than that.
Other runners - what do you think? How do you handle distance, versus speed races?
1 comment:
i prefer distance to speed.
speed hurts me. distance , i just love it.
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