From dreamers to doers

I've often said, when referring to our Running Club, we're the most out-of-shape bunch of fit people you'd ever want to hang out with. Such a statement no longer has any semblance of truth. This group is a finely-tuned fitness machine.

Until now, our racing goals have always been the same from the fastest to the not-so-fastest runners in our Club:

Finish.

Every race we've entered to this point has been a first-timer at that particular distance; regardless of the outcome, it would always be a personal best for everyone. But, as the days go by, we're getting closer to a return trip to the 10-mile road race that up until a couple of weeks ago, was the greatest running accomplishment for all of us. And with most of us having done this race before, our usual goal of simply finishing is no longer an acceptable challenge.

At a recent Club meeting, I asked members to write down their personal goals for the 10-miler and hand them back to me to be read aloud. Most, if not all of the members who had done this race before, wrote down a specific time goal - a symbolic move from dreamers to doers if there ever was one. But symbolic gestures don't deliver results - effort does, and each member has upped the ante, so to speak, since training began last week with record-paced runs and intense interval sessions that leave no doubt that each person's goal for this year's race is indeed attainable.

And as I head to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia this weekend to participate in the World Heritage Site 5-K for the second time, I too have a stated time goal in mind; that for me represents a monumental shift in my running philosophy. I still believe first and foremost that all of us should enjoy every foot-strike and celebrate every finish line regardless of pace, but at the same time, there's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition, even if it is with one's own self.

My advice to the Club:

Respect the distance.
Train smart.
Go for it, gang.