It’s that time of the year again when it starts to get rainy and cold and our lack of motivation to go outside and run is drastically decreased. Even as a professional athlete, I struggle all the time with dragging my butt out the door to go running on a yucky weather day.
But I know I have to, I have to get that training done because I always have a race coming up. This is just one of the reasons why all you recreational runners out there should sign up for a race this fall or winter. Having something to train for will ensure you get your training done. This brings me to the main topic of this blog—why racing is more fun than just running!
The feeling of excitement and nervousness on race day is awesome. You will not get that before a regular ol’ morning run. And the feeling after you complete a race and know you did well is even better. It’s called the runner’s high- and yes you may experience this after a great run, but its so much better after a great race!
When you know you have a race coming up, you are far more likely to complete all your training runs then if you did not have a goal race in place. And we all know that the more you run, the easier it is, the more fit you become, and the better you feel. So when you start skipping runs, for one reason or another it becomes a vicious cycle and increasingly more difficult to get back in shape. Knowing you have to race on a certain day will drastically increase your motivation to go for a run. No one wants to show up on race day out of shape.
Racing is also a social event and lots of fun. It is a chance to get out there and meet new people! You can run with friends, or training partners, or even your significant other. Road races usually have lots of entertainment set up along the route, and sometimes post race parties afterwards. Rock and Roll Vancouver Half Marathon is an awesome race if you really wanna have some fun! You get to walk around, eat yummy food and dance to bands when you’re done. They even have beer gardens set up!
Racing is a way to challenge and push yourself. Simply just going for a run is not the same. You can accomplish things in a race that you never thought possible. I guarantee you will never be able to run as fast in a run by yourself as you would in a race. So get out there and challenge yourself!
There is nothing wrong with running on your own. But doing a race here and there, will give your everyday runs so much more purpose. So pick a race for early 2016 and start training! I am 100% confident that you will be far more fit going into 2016 if you have a planned race, then if you just continue running on your own every once and while. Go for it!
Natasha Wodak
Sponsored Athlete
Innovative Fitness Kitsilano
p. 604 714 1661
www.InnovativeFitness.com
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