Tag Archives: goals

What exactly do you mean by personal best?

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Non-runners who read my blog often ask me what a PB is. I tell them that it’s a Personal Best – when you run your fastest time over a specified distance to gauge improvements. They look at me oddly as if, well, what does that mean?

Funny thing is that when I listen to my running buddies, it appears to me that most of them are on a sole (excuse the pun) mission to increase their running speed and get a PB. (Hey, wait a minute? So it’s not just me?)

Achieving a PB is the ultimate benchmark for most runners. It’s as if this is the signal that they are getting better as runners. But I do wonder sometimes if speed is the ultimate goal?

Is your best always measured in terms of time?

Here’s where I’m going with this …

I’ve been busy at work refreshing my Key Performance Areas (KPAs) for 2012. A new process has been implemented and apart from the normal ‘doing your job KRAs’, there’s a new section called “Stretch goals”. This is meant to be areas where I manage to perform additional tasks above and beyond the normal KRA’s. But the measurement required to see whether or not I have achieved this is the difficult part.

You see, it’s not like running where I am able to record PB’s which indicate ‘best’. I need something more concrete because I can’t just use a PB (time) to indicate greatness for everything I do. The measure has to be tangible and measureable and different for each task.

But yet, in running, it’s okay to just use time. It’s okay that getting faster and faster is the ultimate measure of improvement.

I think this is sometimes where running fails. Because runners have become obsessed with PB’s that even all their “Stretch” goals are based on time/pace/speed. Are runners also training for goals of fitness levels, endurance or overall post-race recovery…or anything else? 

I do realise that all these contribute to better times and faster running. But is there an alternative measure than the PB? *just a thought*…

When you finally make a decision, everything else falls into place

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My parents have a rock in their garden with the following quote carved into it, “To conquer fear, you need to make a decision.”

I’m not sure why this quote popped in to my head on Saturday, but it did. You see, on Saturday I made the decision to pull out of running the Two Oceans half marathon in April.

It’s been a very difficult and tough decision to make. Trust me, I’m heart-broken! But I’ve had time to think long and hard and decide what’s best for me. 

Two Oceans blogger, Dr Ross Tucker pointed out, “Why is sometimes more powerful than how.” So I sat down and wrote out my goals and answered some tough questions I realised was long overdue. It turns out, this is what I know: I do not have a problem running 21.1kms. The distance does not put me off and I do not struggle with it either. It’s the pace where my biggest challenge lies. Due to the fact that I run so slowly, the extra stress of making a 3 hour cut-off hangs over my head causing me incredible stress making it a very unpleasant run.  

The stress comes down to the speed of my running. If I can correct this and run faster, I would not stress as much and enjoy the run more.

The training that I started with my coach in January aims to do just that – get me running faster.

Unfortunately, the training schedule I am following does not include Two Oceans or any other half marathons coming up. In fact, I have already pulled a quad muscle by running Johnson Crane too hard and trying to slip back into my training schedule a day later without resting.

In chatting to my coach, he reminded me that my goal for 2012 is speed, not Two Oceans and unfortunately this year, I can only choose one.

I’ve chosen speed.

My hope is that if I can work on running faster, and start making those cut-off times by a good half hour or so, I will in fact not stress as much and enjoy my runs. That is the end goal.

Two Oceans will be there next year. And the next…

Since having made the decision, I am at peace and have a clearer view of my running goals ahead of me. But I am sad. Very sad. Some of my running friends have tried their very best to convince me otherwise and to run the race “for fun.” But it’s not fun when I’m running my guts out and still see a man at the finish line holding a cut-off gun.

I guess the biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that I was too afraid to make the decision. But the decision has to be what’s right for me, for my body, not anyone else. I kept worrying about what everyone would think. Would they all see it as quitting? 

To be honest, I’m tired (mentally and physically) of scraping through and just making it. I don’t want to run at 8mins/km anymore. I want to achieve a half marathon time of 2h40. Or 2h30. Even 2h20! I want to run faster!

That’s my goal!

I found a coach! (or rather, he found me!)

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My Christmas present arrived early this year.

 

In early December, I received a Twitter DM (direct message) from one of my followers informing me that he was a running coach and asked if I would be interested in some coaching. Are you kidding me? Of course I was interested! However, being the sceptic that I am, I didn’t take it too seriously. In fact, I told no one.

 

Reason being is that I don’t have the best of luck when it comes to finding coaches. After missing the cut-off for a Two Oceans half marathon medal by a mere 6 minutes in 2010, I decided my only hope was to find myself a running coach. However, finding a coach proved to be quite challenging. I was either met with the excuse that it was too close to Comrades for anyone to take on my cause or that my running pace was so slow (8 mins/km) that I would slow the other runners down.

 

I Googled for names, searched local running sites, phoned running clubs with no luck. In the end, I landed up with a personal trainer at the gym who specialises in sports science and who was willing to work with me.

 

That was May 2010 and it’s now December 2011 and even though I managed to do a PB and get my Two Oceans medal in April this year, I still run at the same pace.

 

Yes, I feel much stronger and my core muscles are strong. And don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my gym workouts. But I am still slow. The ‘walkers’ are still able to finish races well before me.

 

So yes, you bet I am interested in any running coaching!

 

As a typical Information Scientist librarian, I did my homework and discovered that this man came highly recommended, was known in running circles and knows his stuff.

 

But his credential was not what impressed me and got me hooked. It’s his motivation and belief in me.

 

From day one, he has spoken to me as if I am the New York marathon champion. He believes in me and makes me believe in myself. He has mapped out a training schedule and a planned goal of where I can be in the next four months. All he expects is dedication and hard work. Trust me, he’s a no-nonsense kinda guys too!

 

I secretly think the name of my blog “Keeping up with the walkers” bugs him. One of the first things he told me is that running at my pace is for old tannies. *ahem*

 

Anyhow, so I’m going in to 2012 not only with a renewed dedication to running but with butterflies in my stomach. My head is telling me that I am capable. My legs already feel like jelly after two days of training (mainly because I haven’t done squat for weeks and my belly is full of gammon) but what an awesome goal to work towards. I’m so excited!

Thanks Eldi!