Incredibly Blurry Picture of Me on the Podium
Saturday morning I headed out at 4:45am. Unfortunately, due to equal parts bad navigation and poor marked signage, the short 1-hour drive turned into 2 1/2 as I turned myself around at least a dozen times. After some out-loud yelling at my car, I finally figured everything out and showed up to the race.
The Race
The main race going on for the weekend was a duathon [10k run, 40k bike, then another 10k run] and there were a few hundred people there for it. As the duathletes started to race, the number of people around shrank dramatically. About 5 minutes after the last heat of duathletes had left, they called all the 5k & 10k runners and walkers to the line
The 5k & 10k were going to be run together. As I got to the line, I was amazed at the numbers of people were lined up:
- 7 – 10k runners
- 5 – 5k runners
- 3 – 5k walkers
There was grand total of 16 of us for the race [easily the smallest race I’ve ever been in]. It was actually so small, it was comical. Everyone else was literally there for the duathlon. The race started with a canon shot, and one guy sprinted out ahead of everyone, but besides him, I was out in front of everyone. I ran the first couple miles with a guy named Walter, a 45 year old who started running 5 years ago and has since run 30+ marathons as well as a half-ironman. Talk about encouraging. About 2 miles in, I picked up my pace and about the half-way point of the 10k, I began to pass some duathletes who were pacing themselves [they still had a 40k bike & 10k bike after the initial run]. As I passed them, literally every one of them noticed I was wearing my Vibrams and yelled out some variation of “How do you feel about those Gorilla Shoes?!”
I tried to quickly mention the pros & cons of vibrams as best I could while running, but it was hard to focus on running and presenting a dual-sided argument for footwear apparel at the same time. I felt really good throughout the whole race and I finished in 53:40, an 8:40 pace, which I was pretty happy with. However, as soon as I finished, some of the people started to notice my Vibrams and the questions started again:
- How do you like them?
- Are they better?
- Do they make you go faster?
I answered their questions as best I could, but I was really surprised at their interest in them. The photographer even came over and took some close up photos of them.
Why You Should Care
Good for me, I finished another race and beat out 5 other people for 2nd place. Big deal. There was no one else there. Why does it matter? Who cares?
My Awesome 2nd Place Prize
I know, believe me, I’m under no illusions that I’m a fast runner. Even though I’m really happy with my time considering the hilly course, I’m quite aware that an 8:40 pace isn’t going to grant you 2nd place in a lot of races. That said, if I get the chance to get up on a podium, you can bet I’m not gonna pass it up and all I did here was show up.
There’s a lot of people that could have run better times than me in that race, but only 1 person did. There are endless reasons why no one better showed: they weren’t interested, didn’t know, didn’t care, were too lazy, too busy, or just are all talk. But I showed up, I ran a decent race and I won second place [complete with canning jar with a piece of cardboard inside declaring me “runner up”]. Sometimes that’s all it takes. Sometimes all you have to do is show up.
I had quite a short list of reasons not to show up to this race. I’d never run a timed 10k before. I was running by myself. I knew I wasn’t going to run incredibly fast and I knew that there was no way that I was going to win any sort of awards[ha!]. I could have given up after driving around for 2 1/2 hours at 5am [and trust me, I almost did], or I could have just left when I saw the grand total of all 16 of us lined up at the starting line and decided it wasn’t worth it. But I went ahead, did it and I ended up on a podium.
Your Challenge
That thing you want to give up on? The thing that seems stupid to even dream/try/finish?
Go ahead, dream it, try it, finish it. Who knows? It might just work because no one else has the guts/time/energy to try it.
[Full Race Results are Here. Photos are coming soon. Follow me @joelrunyon, if you want to know when they’re up]
Joel – inspiring to see you took a personal experience (Congrats, by the way!) and turned it into a life lesson to write about on your blog. Don’t overestimate other people, and don’t underestimate yourself.
“Don’t underestimate yourself” is one of the lessons that I’m constantly learning. We’re all capable of a lot more than we actually think we are.
Congrats Joel and no matter what place you ended up at or how small this race was, the fact that you showed up and ran makes you #1 in your world. You’re a great leader for others to follow when pursuing what they truly want to do. 😀 Go Joel!!
Thanks Nina. You’re doing awesome things yourself. Keep it up
It all seems so simple when you write it this way Joel. Just show up. I remember my first mountain bike race. I was intimidated because there were all these great riders with their fancy bikes and cool looking clothing. I almost didn’t want to do the race. Instead of starting at the front of the pack I went to the back just assuming that I wasn’t good enough to roll with the big dogs. After the race started I realized that I was passing a lot of people that I had just assumed were great riders. Had I started at the front of the pack who knows how I would have done. I guess my point is don’t make assumptions, believe in your abilities and don’t be intimidated. Show up and do it.
The more I race, the more I realize gear doesn’t mean much. I’d much rather have a junky bike and pass someone with a $2000 bike than be the one with the nice bike and get passed.
“Don’t make assumptions, believe in abilities and don’t be intimidated’ – good words right there.
Brilliant, Joel! Congrats to you on ‘showing up’ and following through. You’re so right . . . simply persisting, through the rough spots and the ‘plateaus,’ can often leave you as the last man standing.
I try to train my percussion students to enjoy when we reach a new, really difficult rhythm or technique (rather than complain as usual). Every new level we reach is another place that I see students get frustrated and altogether quit. Instead, those points should be viewed as the greatest opportunities. I tell them that although music shouldn’t be about competition, each obstacle reached, worked through and conquered, leaves the ‘other guys’ a little further behind in their dust.
The guts, time and energy that you mention is what separates the whiners from the winners. Kudos on both a great race and a great post!
Mark, I think this comment just inspired 2-4 new posts ideas :). Talent can be overrated, but perseverance is key. Thanks man.
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
~ Theodore Roosevelt
Still #1 in my book, Joel.
You are incredibly well read Lach. Great quote.
Joel,
I discovered adventure racing this year and signed up for my first race in August. Adventure racing is a mini tri-athlon. 1 hour on bike, 1 hour trekking, 1 hour in a canoe. Use a topographical map to hit checkpoints along a predefined route and collect points. Total time and points all count toward the win.
The Saturday prior to the race, there was an orienteering event put on my a local hiking club.
I went in order to use it as a practice run for the adventure race.
Orienteering is learning to use map and compass (no GPS allowed) to navigate to checkpoints placed on and off trail in a park. The objective is to visit as many checkpoints, but get back within a specific time window.
I hit the first 4 checkpoints with no problem. The fifth was my downfall. I got lost and it took me 2 hours to get back to the start/finish line. While out in the woods, I panicked, forgot to hydrate or eat, and just totally bonked.
All that week I was torn between going ahead with my adventure race or bailing. I went ahead with the race, and finished a 3 hour race in 2hr 52 minutes.
It was such an AWESOME feeling to know that I did it. I was really glad I didn’t let my “bad” experience scare me off!!
Congrats Maria!
I think there’s no better way to learn than just jumping in, getting dirty and figuring things out as you go. Congrats on starting & finishing your race! I think adventure racing is gonna have to be on my radar for the future.
Nice post! It is amazing at times what can be done by merely showing up and putting effort forth:-)
Congrats!!
Exactly! Thanks for stopping by Kenny!
Awesome recap, and glad you’re running in your Vibrams! Going to try a half-marathon with them sometime in December, though it might end up being on a treadmill.
You could just come run one down here with me in November! Shouldn’t be *too* cold yet.
Man! That means I could have gotten eighth place if I’d have signed up with you! I’d definitely take those bragging rights, and nobody would have needed to know it was last place. 😉
You could have! I was gonna tell you but I forgot. You should have definitely come out!
As a bonus, you guys might have been able to help me not get lost 🙂
Today, I completed my first ever 5k. I’m so happy. Here is my impossible list. My website is still under development. http://wp.me/P3Pzbp-9 Wish you all the best Joel. I liked your Impossible School.