Skip to main content

My First Disappointing Trail Race

Well, it happened.. a trail run that I didn't consider fun (during or after). My first trail race that I left feeling defeated....

So, I had to stop and ask myself what was different about this one?  No other trail race has ever left me feeling defeated... so ..  what was different about this one...

And it comes down (I'm pretty sure) to one thing....

I set a timed goal (gasp!). Yep, for the first time with trail running, I set a goal for the race. (which is what I used to basically do with every road race I ran. There was usually always some type of goal. If I reached that goal, I felt elated. If I didn't reach that goal, I felt defeated).

Well, duh, that's what happened on the Ironmasters Challenge 15K. I went into it with wanting to get a certain time, instead of going into the race to enjoy the experience and the accomplishment of finishing.

So when I fell (yeah, I fell). And let me tell you, falling alone on the trail feels much different than falling in front of a group of people (where you were actually leading the way). Not the race of course, but that group of people, where at some point they all passed me! In the past, getting passed on the trail didn't make me feel defeated or anything like that, but this time, it did. As each of those people passed me, I began to focus on how far I was slipping behind instead of the beautiful scenery around me.



I wonder how much I missed by focusing on a timed goal instead of what was happening around me?

I don't intend on letting that happen again - not with any type of race. Not saying that I shouldn't ever set goals for myself, but when I personally let those goals dictate my outcome, running stops being fun for me. And trust me, been there done that - and that's somewhere that I don't want to go again!

So, I'm glad I did the Ironmasters 15k. It was a tough course. It was a beautiful day. I finished.



And my (affiliate link) high five skirt from Skirt Sports was awesome.



And afterward, I put on my (affiliate link) triks original gym girl skirt and headed out to a bday party with the family.

I try to learn something from every race that I do... and from this one.. I learned that I need to enjoy the journey and not allow myself to get hung up on 1 particular goal that day...

In the end.. once I processed everything... I found my smile again...



If you like my blog, or this post, please take a moment to share it with friends.
Share this on Facebook?



Share on Tumblr
Add to Flipboard Magazine.



I'm A Top Health & Fitness Blogger @ Top Mommy Blogs - Please Click To Give Me A Vote















Please Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase using the affiliate link.



USE CODE MGR20 and SAVE 20%

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Self Care Is Not Selfish It's Necessary

It's not selfish to take care of yourself. It's not selfish to take care of yourself. It's not selfish to take care of yourself. And I'll say it just one more time in case you didn't hear me. It's not selfish to take care of yourself. I have found through experience that when I'm not taking care of myself, not only do I suffer but my family suffers. So ditch the mom guilt and take the time that you need! I have a tendency to keep pushing my needs aside until I reach a breaking point. We've had a very busy fun summer so far. However, I've struggled to get some quality ' me ' time to decompress. I'll spare you the meltdown that ensued. But the reality check that followed prompted me to take action.

Running My Life

Wow, has it really been 2 years since my last post? I suppose that I allowed life to get in the way. For any faithful blog readers, I apologize. Although, I'm not sure how many people actually read blogs anymore. I think most people use other social media platforms.  (By the way, drop by and say hi on Insta. )  But for some reason, each year when I pay for my google domain, I can't seem to let it go. As silly as it sounds, this little space is mine. And lately I've been struggling with ownership and acceptance. And my domain renewal was a not so gentle reminder that I have a voice .  Seriously, you'd think by 48 that I'd have this figured out - nope - apparently not. However, I am wise enough to know that we have a choice to allow situations to harms us or make us stronger. I'm choosing to let this mid-life quandary make me stronger. And because of this, I'm setting goals, taking charge, and reexamining priorities.  Movin' on... 

When The Planner In You Must Be Flexible

In case you haven’t figured this out by now, I’m a planner. I know - shocker right?!? :) So although I love substitute teaching, it’s making the planner in me anxious. And it’s been reeking havoc on my workouts. Basically the morning of or maybe the night before, I find out if I’m working. So my day ( that I thought I had planned ) can be turned upside down in an instant. But, truthfully, isn’t that really the same with everyone?