Your Distance Does Matter

Sunday, March 05, 2017 · Mike Davis

Good morning,

Grab your coffee and pull up stool.

The past couple of days have reminded us that winter temperatures are still with us. We here in the south have nothing to complain about, as our temperatures did not fall to the near zero range that my friends in New Hampshire experienced. Despite that, the NFLR Winter Pacers running group put their cold weather clothes on and made their way around Dover. Very impressive, though when my daughter Jennifer called me after finishing, she was still shivering and it was a couple of hours later! Dedication.

Kathy and I ran out at the reservoir yesterday, and while it was a bit chilly, it was excellent running weather. Our run was a little under 5 miles and of course Kathy made a comment about the distance not being much. There was a time when yesterday’s distance would have a more significant accomplishment, but now it elicits little more than a “good job!” It is these comments that rolls the eyes of non-runners as they don’t get “only 5 miles”. I do not believe that runners are intentionally trying to sound caviler, I think it just comes from a prospective that is developed from the many miles we run. Shorter runs take less toll on our bodies, which can be a good thing, but it tends to minimize our sense of accomplishment. I certainly do not think that it is healthy to ever minimize any distance and in fact, it is healthier to embrace distances that will keep us running.

Kathy and I are not currently where we would like to be physically and yesterday our run was probably the perfect distance. With some steep inclines, we both worked up our cardiovascular system as well as a pretty good sweat, and both contribute to the goal of our desire to be fit and healthy. While if we both were being completely honest, we would tell you that we would like to be in running shape enough to take on a half marathon however, life does not always allow for that. Instead of letting our current fitness state deter us, we focused on what we can do and will allow for us to run another day. We both have enough experience in our running that we could probably go out and run 10 miles, however if that accomplishment sidelined us for a week, of what value would it be?

Running or any other type of workout should never be about inflicting more stress than our bodies are trained for or takes away the joy. I understand the concepts of rising to a challenge or pushing ourselves to maximum effort and I even think there are times when that is healthy. However, unless the goal is to push the risk factor to unhealthy point, it is never wise to exceed the process of healthy training. For runners, it can be a challenge for our egos, because we know we can overcome physical limitations by sheer mental toughness and run a certain distance. As cool as that mental fortitude is, it will not protect us from injury. Kathy and I had a great run yesterday and after we stopped for coffee and enjoyed the great feeling of our run. Neither one of us limped in, felt beat up or suffering in any way. Another day we will run further I am sure and when we do, it will be when we feel physically prepared. No doubt I am a little ahead of Kathy and probably could have run further and faster, but I enjoyed everything about our run and the distance and pace were exactly what I needed. The past week was a good running week for me and enjoying yesterday’s run was the frosting on the cake.

There never should be a “I ran just” statement, but instead it should be: “I enjoyed a great run”. The distance is not the defining factor, the fact that we ran, biked, or worked out at all, is what matters. Always think about the big picture!

Tomorrow we are flying off to Colorado to see our daughter and our latest grandchild. Going to be a quick trip, but will be a lot of fun. No Coffee and Chat on Wednesday as I will be leaving my computer home. I’ll be back at it Friday. So, have a great week and do not out run your joy!

God Bless!

Mike