Remember to Look FAR Enough Back...

I wrote about this issue around a year ago. And it's "that time of year" when I need to keep reminding myself of this.

Two weeks after the TC 10 Mile, I felt like I had lost ALL the speed / endurance / training that Coach Jen had given me. I started thinking those thoughts of "well, I can already feel myself going downhill, and I'll never be that fast again. Oh well....."      *deep sigh*

The problem was I was only looking 2 weeks into the past. I was missing the bigger picture. And I need to remind myself of some of this now and then:

DATE	DISTACE and TIME	PACE
Nov 2007	5K PR of 19:11	6:10.5 / mile
March 2008	5 mile PR of 30:30	6:06.0 / mile
Oct 2009	10 mile PR of 1:02:43	6:16.3 / mile
March 2010	5K PR of 17:11	5:31.8 / mile
Oct 2010	10 mile PR of 59:05	5:54.5 / mile

Here's my point: in the fall of 2007 when I raced my 19:11 5K PR, if you had told me that within a few years I was going to run 10 miles at a pace that was 15 seconds faster PER MILE than that 5K, I would have punched you in the face. Then stolen your wallet. Then rented some DVDs from the "RedBox" at McDonalds with your credit card without ever returning them.

Bottom line: I would have thought you were nuts.

But I DID just that. (Not the "punching you in the face" part, but the "running a 10 mile race at a pace 0:15 / mile faster than my 2007 5K PR pace" part.)

So when I start getting slightly depressed that my running speed is leaving me, or my biking power is "taking the winter off," or I haven't been to the pool for a while, I just start looking FARTHER back. In the past 4 years, I've come a LLLOOOONNNNGGGGG way. I can't lose sight of that.

I don't know how much longer I can expect this speed to continue. Whenever I look back, I just feel SUPER lucky / blessed that I've been able to throw down numbers like that.

Stop and look at where you've been. No, not over the last month (because maybe you've "let yourself go" over the last few weeks). But look "long term." I bet you're better off now than you were a few years ago. Maybe you've got a better level of fitness. Maybe your career's coming along. Maybe you've grown in your family life. Maybe you've been doing a few small house projects that have really done a lot to your home, but you've been too focused on each little project to be able to enjoy the "real" view of what you've done.

Step back, take a long look, and enjoy your accomplishments.

Where will you or I be in another 4 years? Who knows. But I'm excited to find out.....

My 2007 5K PR and my 2010 10 mile PR