With this post don’t focus on the actual numbers. Focus on what the numbers represent. To me, race times represent determination, hard work and dreams becoming reality.
Enjoy the journey. Otherwise what’s the point. Eleanor Roosevelt said it best…
A couple weeks ago I was browsing twitter for some new blogs to read and came across Jessica Hofheimer’s blog Pace of Me. I clicked on the Racing Page and half way down, there it was. Her race history and I was blown away. In 2000 she ran the Philly Marathon with a time of 5:21:20. In 2013 she ran the Richmond Marathon with a time of 3:14:10. I was in shock! I have come across some great stories since catching the running bug a little less than a year ago but I really did not think an improvement of such magnitude was possible.
This led me to posting her race history on my Instagram page, which led me to this post. I am 1000% sure Jessica is not the only runner with such improvement over time. Some have done it in only a couple of years. Some, as in the case here, it took longer. Winners all around as far as I’m concerned.
The beautiful thing about running is anyone can do it. Young and old. Male and female. Running is not racist, biased or sexist. But we are all different. We all have different stories, different demons and thus have our own walls to break through. And for some it is harder than for others. And it gets frustrating at times. And we rely on support to power through.
I posted Jessica’s times as a way for many to see that no one race defines the person. It is the journey. While frustrating at times, done right, anything is possible. If I asked Jessica back in 2000 if she would ever run a 3:14:10, odds are she would have laughed. As I would now if someone asked me if I think I could ever run that time. But seeing her race history made me step back and think to myself, maybe I can. No, I think I can! And here are some of the comments made when seeing the Instagram post:
- “I love seeing stuff like this. Sometimes I just wonder if some people are innately fast and this makes me think that I might hit times like this someday!”
- “Wow, there is hope!”
- “It’s hard to think that’s a real possibility until you see someone’s race history. There’s hope”
- “Wow, needed to see this. I’ve been feeling like getting faster is impossible”
- “I love this!! Keeping my dreams alive!”
- “Wow, I really needed this. I’m getting jitters for my first in October”
- “Why we compete with ourselves most of all”
- “Needed this today, thanks”
- “So it is possible for me to break 4:00 maybe!”
- “Wow, I needed to see this to keep up the motivation and dedication”
- “This is so inspiring to me, you have no idea. My first marathon was a 5:15. Now I’m in the equivalent of her shamrock result, 4:30ish”
The obvious follow up question to any runner showing this sort of improvement is a simple question: How?
“I went outside my comfort zone. A lot. When I started training, I made a deal with myself: I was going to believe in myself. And I wasn’t going to give up when the going got tough, which I knew it would repeatedly. I used to wimp out when the weather was bad, or give up when I had a bad day. This past year I ran no matter what – in the rain, in the freezing cold, in the heat and humidity. When it was icy out, I did 20 miles on the treadmill. I stopped making excuses, because I knew that if I was going to see the benefits of my training I had to survive on those rough days. I had to change my mindset if I was going to get stronger and if I was going to push through self doubt and negative thinking.” From Pace of Me
I think if you have had the same success over the years, you’d be doing a tremendous service to the running community sharing your history. Especially if you have a blog. New runners want to see it. Frustrated runners need to see it. Proof that we should never underestimate the Power of Persistence. I will get my half marathon goal of 1:39 one race soon. Will I ever BQ marathon? I refuse to say I won’t. Just give me 10 more years 
My half marathon and marathon history:
- March 21, 2010 NYRR NYC Half Marathon 2:00:19
- March 17, 2013 NYRR NYC Half Marathon 1:54:31
- May 18, 2013 NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon 1:53:25
- Enter RacePaceJess into my life = TRAIN RIGHT. RUN RIGHT.
- October 19, 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon: 1:46:18
- November 17, 2013 Big Sur Half Marathon: 1:43:28
- February 2, 2014 Surf City CA Marathon: 3:40:16
- March 1, 2014 Best Damn Race Orlando 1:42:43
Bart Yasso said it best: “When I started running, I started dreaming”
I say: “Never stop dreaming. Just keep running”
Reposted with Permission from NYC Sweat