Hi everyone!! I just want to send out a quick message today to get the week started. As you know I have been switching my posts over to the new Wix blog on my site and that has caused some issues. I am still trying to problem solve some of these. I am hoping that this post goes out in the usual manner with the address from Good2gorun and also with the title of the post. I know you received one that was from "home". I do not even know how or why that happened but I am hoping I have fixed it. If not, then I will know after this post and will contact them to help me!
Well, mostly I wanted to send a quick post out to talk about the upcoming 50 races a little. As I was doing my run the other day I started thinking, "why am I really doing this?" I mean, of course I am doing it because I like to run and it will be a good challenge for me turning 50, but why really?
I was thinking back to how I have always been and why I do not seem like "me" anymore with regards to my running. I used to be so hardcore and push myself to my absolute limits in races and now I am a terrible racer. I push myself some in workouts but I never seem to be too hardcore or competitive in races anymore. I am sure some of that is a good thing because I was probably a little too far the other direction to be honest but I have to say, I don't really like it. It feels like I am no longer me. It is like I have lost a core part of me. Who's to say what caused it but I can pinpoint when some things changed.
I started thinking back to when I became such a softy with my running. Now, I don't want to make any excuses for being slow or not racing well but I wanted to try to figure some of it out. The best I can figure is after our fertility treatments and all the issues I had with that and the multiple injuries that occurred after all that (none were from running) is where my backslide started.
I think I became afraid that if I pushed myself that I might get really hurt and not be able to run again and it seemed like it would be better to run for life and have to be slower than to not be able to run again.
As I was doing my run and thinking about all of this, I thought, "Give me a break, you are a PT for goodness sake!! You can rehab yourself if you get hurt just like the other people you help all the time." I realized it is time to stop being such a baby and man up!! I kept saying to myself as I pushed through my intervals that day that there was only one way to find out my potential and that was to push my limits.
I am pretty sure that 50 races in 1 year is really going to push my limits physically and mentally. I wanted it to be something challenging enough to really push me to get off my butt and stop being a big baby!! I can't guarantee that I can run every race at true race pace but I am really going to give my best effort. I am going to keep working mentally to break past that point where my brain keeps trying to tell my body to just slow down or walk because this is supposed to be fun!!!
So, that is a little bit more about my why for doing the races. I keep thinking about it more and more during my runs and I feel like last week was a good breakthrough for me to realize that I have moved fairly far away from who I used to be. I'm not saying that some of it isn't a good thing, and maybe I have evolved a little, but some of it just feels like I have lost a core part of me. So, sorry to all of you who have known me a long time and were happy to see me being less competitive. I am hoping to get that all back!!
When I asked Kristie about why she was doing the races with me she had this to say, " I stay motivated with races, I always try to be signed up for something. When you asked if I would join you on your mission. It sounded like an awesome adventure to "run and stay fit" to 50 and beyond. I told her it made me think of Buzz Lightyear-"to infinity and beyond!"
Well, I hope you are having a great day! I am getting a lot of things done and a lot of errands run today. I have been awake since 3:15 and have been busy since then!! Have a great week!
Here are a few pictures of my frozen trees today. No, I am not out running in this!
You are amazing—Happy New Year🎈🎈Pat Cortez