Not The Hardest Run Ever + Dealing With An Athletically Gifted Spouse
By admin
With that, happy Sunday! I hope you’ve had a great weekend.
On Friday, Dan and I packed up my car and headed 2 hours north to Columbia, SC for an early morning race. Saturday we had plans to run the Mountain In The Middle 12K.
Normally, I would just drive up the morning of, but Dan convinced me it would be best for our bodies and minds (aka we could sleep longer) if we just stayed overnight.
He was right! It was wonderful to be able to take our time in the morning to eat breakfast, drink some coffee, and well, you know, before the race.
We stayed at a Wyndam Inn less than 10 minutes from the race start. With a full continental breakfast and comfortable, clean rooms, we were very pleased with our $ 75/night decision.
Mountain In The Middle Race Day
Race day was freezing… and Dan was thrilled to go out into the cold to run:
It was a frigid 32 degrees at the starting line! Jeanette (who met us there), Dan and I walked around as much as possible to stay warm. The gazebo on site didn’t offer much warmth.
But as for the race itself, it was just as great, if not better, than I remembered from last year!
I had one of those runs that just feels great and reminds you why we put our bodies through so much pounding. From start to finish, I felt strong and in control.
What made it even more sweet was remember how challenging this race was for me last year when it had been my very first trail run. I remember struggling and wondering what in the hell made me want to do this.
This year was different, I felt stronger, more confident. I felt as if I had the right to be on those trails with the other runners.
A difficult race? Of course, all trail runs are hard for this sea level girl. But it wasn’t the hardest.
Post Race Pict!
I finished solid, and even wished I had chosen to run the longer trail (we all ran the 12K instead of the 17K). I thought with my foot just coming off injury that it would be best.
I managed to place, but because they only award the 1st place winners, I am not sure of my official standings. But I think I either got 3rd overall or 2nd in my age group. I’ll let you know when the results are posted!
And I am sure it was the right decision.
Finding Passion
Remember how just the other day I confessed I had no passion for distance running? Well, this trail race changed that. It once again ignited my spirit and my confidence.
It was just what I needed.
Like all of the GoRunTrails races, this one was organized and filled with camaraderie. That’s one of the reasons I love trail running so much, the races are smaller and we’re all there to not just run our race but to support one another. One person falls, we all go and check on them. One slows down, we all rally together to get them moving.
If you’re in the Southeast, check them out! If you want to do a race, let me know and I’ll try and sign up too. I think I am going to do this one in June for sure.
Dealing With An Athletically Gifted Spouse
I mentioned it above that Dan ran this race with me. It was the first race he’s run in over a year and the longest race he’s ever run.
2 weeks ago he started training by running on some local trails (aka flat). He got up to 6 miles like it was nothing.
Impressed? I was.
He told me at the start of the race, his goal was to run the whole thing. His plan was to start in the back of the pack so he wouldn’t hold anyone up, and he could zone out.
To be honest, I knew he could run it, but I had no idea what his pace would be like. He’s not a runner after all, with just 2 weeks of training under his feet, who knew how he could handle those steep climbs? Declines?
After I crossed the finish line and grabbed some water, I decided to walk to my car to grab my iphone so I could snap a picture of Dan’s finish. You can imagine my surprise when I saw him finish from a distance, I didn’t make it back in time!
He finished just about 5 minutes behind me and looked strong.
I was flooded with emotions, on the one side I was extremely proud, on the flip side I was a bit agitated that he did so great for having barely trained and for hating the sport of running!
Jeanette was initially annoyed by this as well. Glad I wasn’t alone!
I can honestly say that Dan is a natural at most fitness activities. He catches on fast, understands his body and is able to excel.
Frustrating for me? Yes!
But more than anything, I am proud of him. He might be better than me at a lot of things, but I can’t hold a grudge or blame him for that. Instead, I have to support and encourage him.
I won’t lie… I try to encourage him to find activities that he loves that I don’t so we can excel in our individual activities without feeling competitive towards one another.
He knows at this point, I am a stronger runner, so he never tries to race me. I know he’s an awesome paddleboarder and talented with kettlebells, so I don’t try to compare myself to him.
We have to find our own passions. Luckily, running isn’t one of his!
- Do you have a spouse that seems good at everything?
- Do you ever get jealous?
Thank you for all the kind words and extra prayers for my family. I am sad to say my grandmother passed away just this morning at a little after 9am. She would have been 82 next week. I appreciate everyone’s support.