Just For The Fun Of It.

I’m spending the weekend chilling out on the couch, resting before my 10k race on Monday.   It’s a big deal race around here (about 43,000 people ran last year), and a big deal for me aswell.   My goal is to go under 44 minutes, but I’ll be ok with anything under 45 minutes.   Last year I ran it in 45:58, and I’ve been training much smarter this year, so I think that my goal is realistic.   We’ll see.   I’m looking forward to the race, but also to the post-race runs with my dog that are just for fun – no watch, no gps, not caring at all about how fast or how far I’m going.   I’m not doing a lot of races this year.   I did a 5k last weekend, but I don’t have any others planned right now.   I just love to run, and it fits my lifestyle very well.   And in contrast to the other sports I love (mainly snowboarding and mountain biking), it’s simple and cheap.   I buy a new pair of running shoes every 6 or 7 months, which costs me less than $200/year.   I buy running clothes at thrift stores, and there’s no charge to run – trails and parks are everywhere.  

The race on Monday is important to me, and one that I plan to keep doing every year.   But racing is no longer something that I want to spend much money on.   Every race costs at least $20 to enter (some are as high as $50), and that’s just for running-only races.   If you do a triathlon or duathlon, the price is even higher.   Sure, you get a t-shirt most of the time, but how many race t-shirts does anyone need?   I have won several medals  but what do they really mean?   Just that the girls who can run 10ks in 38 minutes  weren’t at the race that day, so I got a medal.     My running-for-the-fun-of-it attitude puts me completely out of the league of women who are seriously competitive athletes.   It’s not like anyone is ever going to pay me to run (or bike, for that matter).   So I think that after Monday, I’ll just spend the summer mountain biking with my husband and running with my dog, and not worry about how fast I’m going.   My huge neighborhood thrift store is having a 50% off sale on Monday – maybe I’ll go there after the race and treat myself to a new running shirt that I can wear on my just-for-fun runs…