Boston. To many runners it is the ultimate race experience. For some of them it is actually a life goal. I used to be a huge fan of the race too, but ever since I discovered trail running my runner mentality has changed.
I no longer chase a certain PR, I don't let it define me as a runner. I have come to realize the reason I'm out there, day after day, is because I simply love the sport and time spent in nature is a precious, rare thing for most people these days. I'm positive if I did a poll at my own workplace (which admittedly has a lot of fit, active people!) I would find less than 10% have spent an hour in the woods in the last week.
That's sad. This disconnect we have between ourselves and nature is only growing and we should pay attention to how it affects our lives, both mentally and physically.
I love the sweet smell of the trees, watching the rivers flow and the crunch of a good trail under my feet. I love going out for hours and just being my running-self. It both recharges me mentally and breaks me down physically. Bliss. That's why I love ultras. With generous cut off times, aid station eating-fests and the most supportive fellow runners on the planet I can't think of a better way (aside from hanging out with my awesome husband and daughter) that I could spend a day.
Do I still follow a training plan? You bet I do! I learned long ago that following one keeps the suffering level to a minimum during any race so to me it's still common sense.
So why do I still bother to race? I race much less than I used to, it has certainly become less important to me, but part of me wants to push my own personal boundaries. Yes, you can do this without a starting line but can you do it on a specific day? That's the question each runner, regardless of distance or type of race, puts on themselves when they decide to run a race. Sure you can run a 50 minute 10k but can you do it on, say May 10th, when it's raining and the route is different than the pancake flat route you usually run? Running trails has made me a stronger runner and has given me confidence to answer that question with a yes, yes I can, or at least I'm going to try.
Boston is a historic, beautiful road race, and I'll continue to watch it each year to see the runners triumph over their own limits and set records, but afterwards I'll head out into the woods, to smell the trees and enjoy the mud.
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