Yay for Me!

I have been so good lately. I have really stepped up my workouts and am trying to follow the schedule as closely as possible. I can tell that I have been working harder because I think my times are improving.

I bring this up because I think I am changing my mindset about my training. I realized this when I opened my new Runner's World and saw two very diametrically opposed ads. The one was a Brooks ad and the other was a Pearl Izumi ad. I am a dork because I work in branding and graphic design. So this kind of thing is VERY interesting to me.

I had a big long discussion with Bill on my last run about this. Last year I ran to "run happy". I loved my runners high and sometimes I would be so happy and have so much fun running that I would get teary eyed. (I know, I am lame). My coach, Joe, was great and always made sure that we had fun and were running safe. Of course he was harder on the faster more competitive runners, but for runners like Sarah and Lindsay and me I think it was more about having fun, loving to run and making improvements. I was all about "run happy" just like the Brooks campaign (by the way, I love both of these ads).I think this is also why I loved all of those adidas wallpapers from last year. (Like: I run to eat cookies).



I think I am heading more towards a Pearl Izumi mindset. Pearl Izumi's ads are shocking compared with the happy-go-lucky Brooks ads. I couldn't find the one I saw in Runner's World, but basically it has a skinned knee with a lot of blood on it and talks about how running is hard. And Pearl Izumi doesn't want to water running down by adding a bunch of nice adjectives to it. And that if you feel that way then you are a jogger...not a runner. It is pretty controversial. Their running website is even called We Are Not Joggers.Here is one of THEIR desktop images though:



Now granted, I run a 10 minute mile. I am not an elite, I will probably never qualify for Boston. I run because it is fun. And a lot of people are mad at these Pearl Izumi ads because they think that PI is trying to make running for elites again, and not for people like me. Don't get me wrong, I love that marathoning has opened up to people like me. I think programs like Team in Training that teach people to run endurance events are awesome.

BUT the PI ad is sort of an aspirational target for me. I would love to be a "hard core" runner.

Before, I was going to practice and if I did well I was happy and if not, oh well, I was doing something good for myself. NOW I am really trying to improve. I am running harder. I am thinking about my form and my speed. I am serious about cross-training and stretching and core strength. And I am having fun doing it. I don't think that running has lost it's fun for me. But I think that I am ready for the next level. The funny thing is, I don't think that I could have gotten to this level without running happy. I would have burnt out and hated the sport.

I think running long-distance is a lot of mental along with the physical. We'll see if this change of mindset and training will benefit me or if I should just stick to running happy. :)