Run, Anastasia, Run…

Next month, I will be running in the Toronto Marathon.

That looks remarkably impressive up there, doesn’t it? But look closely, there’s more there than meets the eye. You’ll notice that I didn’t say “I will be running a marathon.” It is true, I will be running in the Toronto Marathon – but I won’t be going the whole distance. I’ll be part of a relay team, and I’ll only be running one 5k stretch. A friend at work was trying to put together a team, and I was crazy enough to sign up.

I have only dabbled occasionally in running, but I have run road races before. My first ever race was a 10k three years ago. (Some people might wonder at the wisdom of choosing a 10k for a first race: Why not start with a nice easy 5k? Well, this particular 10k runs down Toronto’s Yonge Street, which is almost entirely downhill. It is billed as one of the fastest 10ks around.) This summer, I did the same course again, as well as a 5k. My times were far from impressive: The first 10k took 1:12:54, and this year even longer (1:19:15). The 5k took 40:26.

I’m clearly not in this for competitive reasons. So why did I run these races? Well, I do believe that setting goals is a good thing, and I do enjoy running. But so far, a goal of “run some time” doesn’t seem to be working. But when you commit to something, say, by officially registering for a race, well that’s a whole other story. You have a deadline. Deadlines can be great motivators. I know from experience that it works for me. Case in point: Since I’ve committed to this marathon, I’ve actually gone running a couple of time. I’ve learned to go with what works for me.

So what works for you?