I am a slow runner. When I tell some people this I often get in reply, “Well you can’t be any slower than me, I only run a 10 minute mile.” Well actually, a 10 minute mile is me on a fast day, thankyouverymuch.
Sometimes when I tell people my pace they look confused. I actually had someone tell me, “But you are thin and have long legs….are you sure that is as fast as you can go?!” Yep. I am sure.
I run 11 minute miles and I AM OK WITH THAT!
Really I am!
I often hear comments and read posts in the blog world about what constitutes a ‘real runner’. How if you run anything over a 10 minute mile you are just a ‘jogger’ or not a ‘serious runner’. Well I have one thing to say to that: Bull Shit!
I am very serious about my running. It is a huge part of my life. I devote hours to it each week. I invest a good chunk of my paycheck to running. It is something my body and soul crave. Running is a part of me.
That was not always the case. A few years ago I was clueless when it came to running. It was not until I trained for and ran my very first 5K in the spring of 2010 that I realized how amazing and rewarding running could be. It took me 37 minutes to complete that 5K. Yep, you read that right - 37. Last summer I ran a 5K in 29 minutes. I shaved 8 minutes off of my time. I worked hard, I improved.
As a runner, that is all I want to keep doing. Work hard, improve. My goal for running is to be the best runner that I can be. And to enjoy running. I never want running to become a chore. If it does, I will hang up my asics. Enjoying running for me is to set goals, work hard, relish the results, and have fun training.
Running an 8 minute mile is not the goal for me at this point. My goal is to start and finish a marathon healthy. I do not care if I come in last place. I just want to finish healthy.
My goals change with each race or training cycle.
After my marathon I would like to work on speed a bit. I would like to run a half marathon in 2:25. That would give me a PR. (Yes, I know some runners would die if that was their time, but what sweet victory it would be for me!)
You see, what I love about running is that we are all running our own race! My goals are not your goals. Your goals are not mine. We all have a race in us. Your race might be about pace, it might be about starting, it might be about finishing, it might be about negative splits, it might be about having fun, it might be about a PR. The key is to discover what you are working toward or why you run and keep that goal in mind. Do not let anyone tell you that you are not good enough or fast enough because YOU ARE!
My pace might be your worst nightmare. Maybe you are just starting out running and an 11 minute mile might seem out of reach. Either scenario is fine and if I could give you one piece of advice it would be to embrace your pace. If you are pounding out 7 minute miles, that is AWESOME! Own it! If you are running a 12 minute mile, SWEET! You are out there moving! That is great!
If you are happy with your pace, keep on keeping on! It makes running that much more enjoyable. If you would like to get faster, I promise you that speed work and dedication go a long way. That is another great thing about running:
So to all you runners, no matter what your pace is, embrace it and if you have to remind yourself of one thing let it be this:
Have you ever felt insecure about your pace? How did you overcome this?
I couldn’t agree with you more! Slow mileage is better than no mileage. What matters is that we slow runners are out there feeling good about what we are doing for ourselves.
Lori
YES! I always joke that the longer I am out there, the more bang I get for my buck;-)
Ohhh I am SO sending this post to my sis right now to read. She just recently had an awesome running breakthrough – she runs for herself now, nobody else. Which can be hard to wrap your head around if you get anxious when surrounded by other, often faster, runners. I admit that I’ve had moments where I think I’m “too slow” or not competitive enough as a runner or whatever. But at the end of the day, I couldn’t care less where I fall in the race day pack, I care ALL about running a race that makes ME proud. I run for me through and through. I love the mantra: embrace your pace. AMEN!!!!
It’s hard to get to that point. We live in a world of comparison and competition. Sometimes that can be good, and other times it can be destructive. It’s important to learn that you are where you need to be and if you are unhappy there you can change that! That can apply to anything, not only pace!
Thanks for all your encouragement!
xo
I pretty slow. And even slower now that I’m done with marathon training. I’ve wanted to lose 10 lbs to see if that would increase my speed (because I’ve gained 14 in the past 2 years). And I will say, you do LOOK like a super faster runner. Maybe that’s why people ask you.
I can honestly say that anytime I run 11:00 min miles or faster, I feel like I’m going fast! And I think that counts.
YES it counts! What I admire about you is that you work hard and see results. I always look up to you for that!
Love what you said about us all running our own race! At the Good Form Running clinic, the guy told us that there is no such thing as jogging. Yes some of us are slower than others, but we are all RUNNING!!! Good for you for working within your potential and doing it for yourself. You’re making great gains and you’re achieving it on your own terms! Get it, girl!
Thanks friend! And I gather so much inspiration from you….you work so hard for your AMAZING pace and I admire that in you!
LOVE this post. Thanks for sharing. EMBRACE YOUR PACE! Woo!
I have to share this post with Babe too. Sometimes she refers to what I do as “jogging” and I don’t think I’ve ever addressed it directly, but it bugs me. I’m RUNNING. Maybe I’m doing it slowly, but I’m doing it. I’m RUNNING.
Yes! You are a runner! So happy that you can see and aknowledge this
Running is new to you, so do not worry/stress about numbers. Focus on getting out there and moving. Enjoy it:-) Embrace it!
Did you know that when I first started running, I ran about a 10:30 – 11 min/mile pace? Well, I did! Running is all about being patient with yourself. Allow time and HARD WORK to make you a faster runner. Embrace where you are now. It is all about being consistent. It is all about enjoying the run and the journey before you. Do not let anyone take that experience away from you! It is yours and yours alone. You are going to do awesome my friend. I cannot wait to see where the journey of running takes you!
Thank you for this! I admire how far you have come! You are such a rock star and inspiration in my book
Wow, I really needed to read this!! (Jess is my sis, who said she was sending this to me!) I absolutely agree with you and am working on just this – embracing my pace! SO well put!!! Thank you!!
Thank you for reading and relating! Keep working on embracing this…you will be a much happier runner:-)
Love this post! Where are my Nike’s??!!!!
Thanks for this post. I have pinned several of the posters and I am going to share this on my FB page Eat Run Sail
I am slower than you and I don’t care!
Yay for my slow buddies! I am going to check out your FB page:-)
Wow, what a great post!
I really needed to read this – I am finding myself sucked into that horrendous vacuum that is “runner comparison”, and I”m about to leave for a run in 15 minutes. I know you just made my run for tonight *that much* better.
Thanks girl!
Thank you for reading and relating. It is so easy to get caught up in comparison and lose sight of our own goals. We all do this! It’s a daily battle of checking ourselves to see where we are and where we need to be. Best of luck on your running journey!
AMAZING! I had to give myself a kick in the butt recently when I got bummed about my pace, but the bottom line is…I’m out there running consistently, building a healthy habit for life. Anybody who thinks my 9:30-10 minute miles are slow deserve a swift kick in their dumb butts!
Thanks for the awesome, inspirational post!! xoxo
Thank you for reading! It is easy to get discouraged, but as long as we are giving it are all and enjoying ourselves, that is all that matters! I know I will never win the Olympics, but on race day I AM getting the same medal that the person who came in first gets
Great post, I don’t give a rat’s you know what about whether a person is fast or slow, we are all runners. People need to get over themselves sometime and I have had some pretty serious disagreements with people over this issue. It seems to raise its ugly head every so often and needs to be put back in the garbage can where it belongs.
Being a real runner is about your attitude towards running, not how fast you may be IMHO.
Yes! It is about our attitude, love, and passion for the sport:-)
Love it! I am like you – a skinny girl who runs slower. I only recently broke the 10 min mile barrier – and it was under ideal conditions on a treadmill and only 1 of them. I also ran a marathon at 13 min mile average (admit-ably there was some walking) but I still take pride in it.
Yes! You should be very proud! And congrats on breaking that 10 min. mile. That is awesome:-)
This is a really good post! I am definitely not the fastest runner either, but I agree with you, we are running our own race out there
.
My races goals are always changing and evolving…but I embrace the journey
Thanks for reading!
Great post! A runner is a runner, no matter how fast you are – I’m usually right about the pace you are and while I felt bad about it for a long time, I’m learning to OWN it!
That’s great! Thanks for reading
Can I just say Like x 1,000,000? Because I do.
I’ve been chanting at people to embrace their inner pace for, well, forever. Why? Because it’s the speed that your body moves the best at. Where you’re not out for injury or overuse. And as long as you don’t get picked up by that God D*mn wagon, we all cross the same finish line Not In First Place.
Run on, sister. Run on. You are such an encouragement to me and to so many others.
Awe, thanks Kat! I love the point that you make about injury. Very true!
Love this post! I felt insecure about calling myself a “runner” for a while. Not sure why. One day I finally got used to it. I also used to apologize for my paces when I’d run with people better than me (who never cared). That’s when I realized how embracing the running community is – as long as you’re putting one foot in front of the other – you’re a runner.
Always fun to see improvement, too (like the 5K you mentioned) — what keeps me coming back to racing!
Improving is such a great feeling and I think that is why a lot of people invest so much in racing and training, to see what they are made of!
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This just shows how strong and amazing you are!! My mom was always paranoid she was slow, but once she settled into celebrating being an amazing runner she cared a little less about the time she put up — while the entire time she was actually improving.
If anyone ever gave someone grief about their pace I’d hop in and give them grief. Doesn’t matter how fast or far you go, you are moving and you are a runner.
I appreciate your post. I’ve been struggling with this issue for a while. I haven’t ran in 10 years but I used to be a pretty good sprinter and ran the high hurdles. Now I’m trying to learn how to run distance which I’ve NEVER been able to do. It is SOOO different. Right now I’m working on building my mileage for my upcoming half marathon (very 1st distance race). It’s a struggle for me to run without comparing myself to others who have been running a lot longer than I have. Since I’m super competative and used to winning races, I’m being served a pretty big piece of humble pie. Thanks for the reminder and encouragement!
Thank you for reading! Yes, distance does slow you down! I am running almost a minute slower on all of my long runs. But that’s ok! I will make it to that finish line and so will you:-)
Best of luck on your training!
Thank you for posting this! An 11 minute mile is a comfortable pace for me too and when I first started running I thought that wasn’t good enough. But my confidence has grown since I started training for my first half-marathon. Running in the double digits is something I never thought I would do so even if I do it a slower pace it is still a great accomplishment!
Thank you for reading and relating! A mile is a mile my friend, whether it is a 7 minute mile or an 11 minute mile:-) Best of luck on your half marathon!
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