Last week Carla wrote on MizFitOnline about why she doesn’t compete in athletic events, and Roni wrote on Just Roni about why she does. I’ve been mulling the same question for a while.
It’s not about the t-shirts.
Or the finisher’s medals.
It’s not about the post-race food.
Except when it is.
It’s not about winning–that only happened once!
It’s a little bit of this–training and racing with friends.
But mostly–for me–it’s this.
Having a race on the calendar makes me more disciplined about my workouts.
I make more of an effort to fit in my workouts even when my schedule gets crazy.
I am less susceptible to the snooze button (except when I’m not!).
I do more challenging workouts–speed intervals, hill repeats.
I make more of an effort to stretch and use my foam roller.
Having a race on the calendar gives me a tangible reason to make myself a priority
when I am faced with competing demands on my time.
Having a race on the calendar forces me to set goals and follow a plan to reach them.
So I can cross the finish line smiling.
Why do you race?
![The Ultimate Coffee Date](http://got2run4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ultimate-Coffee-Date.png" "The Ultimate Coffee Date")
I like this a lot. I had to ask myself this question a few days ago when I was figuring out what to do over the weekend. A great friend reminded me that "It's supposed to be fun", and that helped me answer this question. Doing this for YOU is the best answer.
love.
we are wholly opposite and 100% alike.
I race for the motivation of not skipping workouts too. With no race on the calendar, sometimes the runs are tough. But if I’ve committed to a race, even if it’s months away, it helps me stay diligent.
I definitely am with you on this one! I have to have the motivation to keep going; that’s why I signed up for a half marathon in April – otherwise my motivation can likely go away when it gets super cold!!! 🙂
I’m with you on this 100%. I need a goal on the calendar to keep myself on track. It’s so easy to hit the snooze button or quit on a run that gets rough. I love setting goals and looking back at my accomplishments.
And, I’d rather races stop giving out shirts – I have too many and they’re all usually ugly. I do love tech shirts, but an icky cotton shirt, no thank you. Rather have a medal.
Yes, I agree! It's not about the medal or the shirt for me, either. But I thoroughly enjoy racing in the moment- sharing the race experience with hundreds of other people, pushing my limits, and the amazing sense of accomplishment afterward.
Because if I didn’t, I’d be a lazy bum. Running changed my life in 2004 and drastically changed my life, both in the sense of being more healthy and becoming a goal-oriented person. It’s not that I didn’t set goals before, I just never pushed myself to think outside the box with anything.