It’s been a great year for running so far. I have stayed injury-free all year, have PR’ed in the half marathon twice in a row, and then followed that up with a PR in the 15K. And these are lifetime PR’s, not post-A.S. PR’s. But with these early summer races now done, the rest of the year is wide open, with lots of options.
So what’s next? Well, for one thing, we still need to sell our house and buy a new one. That’s Thing1. And Thing 2 is to get the incentive and motivation to train hard again.With my both my family and my mapping business growing, it’s hard to find time to run, and also hard to find the desire at times. I do best when I just sign up for race to get a tangible goal, and then train in bite-sized chunks. This also helps prevent overtraining, as my training cycles are shorter and more defined.
Having kids changes things
I think I did well during April-June in balancing running with life. I never got mileage out of the low-70s…but I set a couple of nice P.R.s. A question everyone has to ask themselves is: “Is it worth it?“Is the training time and wear and tear on the body worth the reward? Is the hours and hours away from family worth those digits that you see up on the finish line clock, or the numerical rank of your placing you see later in the results? The answer will vary from person to person.
For me, I do think it’s worth it, when I can balance training 60-70 mpw with the rest of my life. My first priorities are my relationship with God and then my family. This family relationship also includes being a provider, which entails working. I choose to work extra in order to allow my wife to stay home with Seth, and am happy to have this opportunity. Suddenly, running becomes “low man on the totem pole”, relegated to 4th or 5th priority in my life (in the past it was much higher). If I spend much more than an hour per day working out, my priorities quickly become out of whack, and running eats into other areas of my life where it should not go. My time is precious, and I guard it jealously. Since Seth was born, I have had to set firmer boundaries, get up earlier, and manage my time better.
By far the best way to get in those extra miles in the evening…
I’ve said this before in this blog, but I do not know what the future holds, whether it’s with my family, my work, my health, or my running. Will I even try to qualify for the 2012 Marathon Trials? I honestly don’t know. Part of me wants to, and thinks I can do it, but another part of me questions whether the sacrifice is worth it. “Can do something” and “Should do something” are two completely different things. Ultimately, my goal is to discern God’s will for all things, and then follow it. Where running falls into that, I do not yet know, as it is just one small piece of my life.
Paul, I really like your attitude about life.
My wife and I feel the same way you do in every single thing you wrote in that post, including the order of your priorities. I think you are right on on the importance of seeking to know God’s will, rather than merely pursuing certain things just because you love it and are good at it. I see so many people get caught up in their hobbies and passions at the expense of their greater responsibilities and priorities. It is my hope and challenge myself to live a balanced life and avoid doing that. I appreciate your example. And you are a perfect example of the Lord blessing those that put Him first in their lives, as witnessed by the way you trained half the amount of your competition and yet still joyfully won the Logan marathon with a smile on your face.
Your attitude and example are inspirational. In the picture Nan sent you of you around mile 10 in the top of utah marathon, where you are grinning and everyone else is stone faced, I remember in that moment wondering to myself why you were so happy compared to them. And I understand the reason very well now. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I had not read your blog in a while. I knew that you had been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (I forget what this is and will read more about it when I get a chance). I seem to check your blog when I am thinking about my placement in life, and your words always seem to put parts of my life in better perspective. The question of, “Is it worth it?” can apply to anything we do. I don’t have the responsibility of family, wife, nor do I have your running talent. I enjoy running hard and pushing myself to do better. I think that I try to do this with most things that I do. As I think that a runner’s basic ethos is to get the most out of him or herself, this mentality tends to pervade other areas of his or her life. Balance is key. Your prioritization of God above all and your admitting and writing about it here may help me. I felt like telling you that, for what it’s worth, since I don’t know you personally. Good luck with your family, your running, your company, and maintaining balance.
Aaron - thanks
Mike - thanks, good point about how prioritization can (should) be applied to anything is life, not just running. Best wishes with your endeavors.
I have not updated this blog in quite some time, but I’ve got time to kill this morning, so maybe I’ll make a go of it.