Indianapolis Monumental Marathon 5K Race Recap 2017
My Indianapolis Monumental Marathon 5K Race Recap for 2017
You might remember that last year when I ran the Monumental Marathon 5K in Indy, it was because I had to forego the half marathon I had signed up for due to knee problems.
This year, before I headed out to Indianapolis (only about a 40 minute drive from my house), I told my husband how great it was not to be worrying about all the things I normally would if I were heading out to run a half marathon.
Here’s the deal, it’s a 5K. 3.1 miles. For someone used to running a full (26.2 miles) or half marathon (13.1 miles), 3.1 miles is a relatively short distance.
Running a 5K and adjusting to my new normal. It's not so bad. #racerecap Click To Tweet
I went through some of the things that weren’t so much of an issue as they would be if it were the full or half marathon.
Like…..
- Even if I toe the line feeling like I need one more potty break, well, I can hold it for 30 minutes.
- What if I’m not dressed right? The weather doesn’t change much in less than an hour. If I get a little hot, I’ll survive. And if it’s cold, I guess I’ll just need to run a little faster.
- If my finish time isn’t quite what I’d like, there will be another race the next weekend or the weekend after.
So this new normal of not stressing out about a race isn’t so bad after all.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t all that happy at first with my finish time. I thought I had run faster than the clock said. I felt good and I felt strong until I saw the number.
The upside of ditching half marathons and running 5Ks. Embracing a new normal. Click To Tweet
Oh the numbers.
I can still get caught up with them. It’s no longer a scale to step on or a half marathon time to get, but I can still put pressure on myself to want to get a certain time.
Had I never seen the numbers, I would’ve walked away feeling really good about that race but once I got my finish time print out I started doubting and second-guessing, and all that negative self-talk started.
But on my walk back to the car, I got an attitude adjustment.
I realized I had so much to be thankful for. I had just finished a good 5K. A little over a year prior to this I had a doctor telling me I needed to hang up my running shoes because of arthritis in my knees.
We have to choose our perspective. It’s not always easy when things aren’t going as planned, but there’s always a silver lining.
I may not be running 13.1 mile races anymore (my first love!), but I’ll keep on running 5Ks and the occasional 10K, and I’ll be happy that I don’t have to worry if I ate exactly right or if I dressed for the changing weather or need to plan a redemption race in 3-6 months if race day doesn’t turn out like I planned it.
Perspective is everything. Find the good. #racerecap #bemonumental Click To Tweet
I’ll just keep running and logging the miles….and hopefully that will be my normal for a long long time. See, it’s not so bad after all.
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