Impostor Runner
If you are a runner, no matter how experienced you may be, you know that there are some days when you feel like an impostor, a fake, a fraud. It doesn't matter the speed with which you have run in the past, the distances that you have put in, the races that you have run, the friends that you have surrounded yourself with who also run...there are simply some days that you feel like you have never run a day of your life..and now you have to go out for a long run...and you just think that you can't. I, truthfully, have been having a lot of those days. And here is why: I have always trained for big runs in the summer when I don't work. I did train for a half marathon in the dead of winter one year, but my babies were little then. I did not have to run the taxi-cab service that I provide for my children to do their sports and activities every night of the week like I do now.
Training in the winter has been hard for me, but I have to keep in perspective that I run that taxi-cab service for my kids because I want them to choose their health through their sports. How can I expect them to carry this into their adulthood if I don't model this lifestyle by demanding the same healthy choices for me? Truth be told, if I had not promised publicly on here that I was going to run the Pittsburgh Half, I probably would have thrown in the towel long ago. There simply are not enough hours in the day for me to take care of myself on top of my three kids, all while maintaining a full-time job. There are nights that I am not home until 8:30. I still have to get the kids to bed and I still have not gotten in my run.
I have coped with this problem by spreading my weekday miles out over 4 runs instead of 3 runs. I had to run 16 miles this week before my 9 mile run today. I was supposed to run 4.5, 7, 4.5. I simply do not have the time to run 7 miles on a weeknight. So, I ran 4 mile runs 4 nights this week instead. The rule-follower in me was worried that I would have a hard time on my 9 miler today. I did not. It seems that this solution is working for me....whether I feel like an impostor or not.
Another impostor-trick that I have come up with lately is that, when my long runs seem too daunting for me and I am dreading them, I split them up. I run it all at once....I have to do this for my confidence on race day....but I run some on the treadmill and then run the rest on the road. So, today I ran 5 miles on the treadmill and then headed outside for the last 4. This made it feel like I was only running 5 miles and 4 miles....not 9 miles....by myself. The other benefit of this is that I was already warmed up when I went out into the still-cold weather. I HATE winter running...bundled up and cold until you warm up...and then chilled when you cool down afterwards. If I am already warmed up when I head out, I miss out on 1/2 of what I hate about winter running...and it helps me to dread it a little less.
So, on days that you feel like an impostor, a fraud, or a fake....no matter your experience...come up with creative ways to cheat. Because, truthfully, if you are still getting out there and getting in the miles, I am learning that it is not really cheating at all. When you are a mama with little to no time and big goals like a marathon or 1/2 marathon, fighting disease through a healthy lifestyle, or simply trying to prevent disease by being your healthiest you, you have to "cheat." Fighting for perfection will only leave you frustrated, leading you to the temptation of slipping up, or, worse, giving up. This is about living a healthy lifestyle, not running a race, going on a diet to lose weight, or choosing well for a day, week or month. You are worth it.
KetoRunningMama
Training in the winter has been hard for me, but I have to keep in perspective that I run that taxi-cab service for my kids because I want them to choose their health through their sports. How can I expect them to carry this into their adulthood if I don't model this lifestyle by demanding the same healthy choices for me? Truth be told, if I had not promised publicly on here that I was going to run the Pittsburgh Half, I probably would have thrown in the towel long ago. There simply are not enough hours in the day for me to take care of myself on top of my three kids, all while maintaining a full-time job. There are nights that I am not home until 8:30. I still have to get the kids to bed and I still have not gotten in my run.
I have coped with this problem by spreading my weekday miles out over 4 runs instead of 3 runs. I had to run 16 miles this week before my 9 mile run today. I was supposed to run 4.5, 7, 4.5. I simply do not have the time to run 7 miles on a weeknight. So, I ran 4 mile runs 4 nights this week instead. The rule-follower in me was worried that I would have a hard time on my 9 miler today. I did not. It seems that this solution is working for me....whether I feel like an impostor or not.
Another impostor-trick that I have come up with lately is that, when my long runs seem too daunting for me and I am dreading them, I split them up. I run it all at once....I have to do this for my confidence on race day....but I run some on the treadmill and then run the rest on the road. So, today I ran 5 miles on the treadmill and then headed outside for the last 4. This made it feel like I was only running 5 miles and 4 miles....not 9 miles....by myself. The other benefit of this is that I was already warmed up when I went out into the still-cold weather. I HATE winter running...bundled up and cold until you warm up...and then chilled when you cool down afterwards. If I am already warmed up when I head out, I miss out on 1/2 of what I hate about winter running...and it helps me to dread it a little less.
So, on days that you feel like an impostor, a fraud, or a fake....no matter your experience...come up with creative ways to cheat. Because, truthfully, if you are still getting out there and getting in the miles, I am learning that it is not really cheating at all. When you are a mama with little to no time and big goals like a marathon or 1/2 marathon, fighting disease through a healthy lifestyle, or simply trying to prevent disease by being your healthiest you, you have to "cheat." Fighting for perfection will only leave you frustrated, leading you to the temptation of slipping up, or, worse, giving up. This is about living a healthy lifestyle, not running a race, going on a diet to lose weight, or choosing well for a day, week or month. You are worth it.
KetoRunningMama
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