Pesky PRs

Personal Records, or "PR" as they are called in the running world, are pretty important to a lot of people.  How else would you rank your progress (against other runners)?  

I just tried to think of my own record for the whopping two marathons that I've run in, and it took me a while to remember the times, although I am pretty sure that these are arbitrary numbers.  My first marathon was my best time, reaching the finish line in about 4 hours and just under 30 minutes.  4:24, maybe?  Already I am trying to inch down to more respectable numbers.  My second marathon in Raleigh took me almost five hours.  I crossed the line with the five hour pace guy, forgetting that I had been in the porta-john for about 15 minutes after the starting pistol went off.

And yet, I don't feel like a failure for running more slowly.  They were two totally different races – Raleigh was FULL of hills, hills that I ignored in my workouts.  I was in good shape, but probably not as good a shape as I was in after just four months into my first deployment.  So I took that time gratefully, and without regret.

Still, any running magazine I read talks about the PR, and how to improve it.  I just read a Facebook post for a group dedicated to "making you faster, and reducing your times!"  Now, I am all for people to improve their fitness levels and even go faster if they want.  But that is not what I want.  I am very happy finding that sweet spot in my stride where I can run on and on.  Which, coincidentally, is exactly what I am going for.

I feel bad for runners who, in pressing their bodies to the limit, have injured themselves and can't run anymore without surgery or intensive therapy.  I can relate, having to reduce my weightlifting ever since injuring (and re-injuring) my supraspinatus tendon.  Never again will I be able to lift the magic weight of 315.  Man, I felt like a monster benching that much after years of just enjoying lower weights to maintain a good pushup number.  I've had injuries to my knees and ankles as well, but luckily I have been able to continue running after a short rest and some ICE.  I don't want this run, or the training leading up to it, to keep me from continuing to run more, later.