Why Race?

Why in the world do we feel the need to enter races?  They are often on the expensive side, they make us nervous, they are time consuming, they make us step outside of our comfort zone and they make us get up early on the day of preparing to fight traffic detours and the inevitable sardine packed starting line.  So again I ask, why? Why do we do this to ourselves and our loved ones?  Why do we put everyone including ourselves through such hassle?

I know why and if you enter these races than you know why.  If you ever attend these races to support your loved ones htan you know why too.  The night before the race as the nerves begin to kick in you don't know and you don't remember.  As you stand at the start line you are still asking yourself "why?"  You turn to your running partner and ask her if she will hold your hair back for you while you throw up...you still don't know why.  Your running partner turns back toward you glaring as she gives you that look that says, "why did I let you talk me into this again?  No I'm not holding your hair back...you're on your own."  The gun goes off and you still don't know.  You get to mile 8 and see the turn around and you still don't know.  You see your family and friends cheering you on at mile 10 and you are angry because you still have more to go.  When you cross that finish line...now you know.  Now you remember that feeling from the race before.  Your family and friends greet you at the finish and now they know.  They see it on your face.  You race because of THAT feeling when you are finally done. 

You race because when you are done you are confident.  You can do anything.  You are a superhero.  13.1 miles, that's nothing.  You can conquer the world.  THAT is why you race.  It's that runner's high that you get all throughout your body when you cross that finish line.

It's like a night out of drinking.  You go out with your friends and you have a big night, I mean a BIG night.  Your running partner IS holding your hair back because she is too wasted to glare at you.  You wake up the next day and you say to yourself, "I am NEVER drinking again."  If you drink at all, than you have had one of these moments.  So fast forward to a month later and your best friends 30th birthday and where are you...yup...you are out drinking again.  You have now forgotten about that dreadful night and that awful way you felt the very next day.  You are out though supporting your friend because the pictures from last time sure made it look like you had a great time and you want to have that great time all over again.

Totally like running a race.  You forget how awful it feels and quickly sign up for the next one.  That's racing.

RACE ON!  And if you can relate to my drinking analogy than keep running and keep signing up for races so that you can burn all those additional calories :)

- Coach Timmie