Training for an event or just out having fun.

I came across this idea while reading Joe Bingham’s book “No Need for Speed”. Great stories of how he went from an overweight , smoking coach potato to being a “real runner”. He talks about how, after he completed his big goal of running 2 marathons in 2 weeks, he went back to “just running”.

I was struck by how profound and yet simple this concept is. Many of us (me included) athletes will fall into the constant training mentality and can eventually get burned out if there is no event on the schedule. When I started doing events a few years ago, I could have something lined up each weekend from the mix of triathlons, cycling, and Ultras. It was exciting and somewhat addicting. Now that I have stepped away in 2011 to start a business and heal up from knee surgery, I have a whole new perspective.

I am not getting paid buckets of money to go to these events and I can only wear so many T-shirts. So as a result, I have become more selective in which events I go to. And feel that each event should have a specific purpose to accomplish. Will it be something to try out short distance at a fast speed, or mountains in the desert or running above altitude? They all are different and all are good things. But, each one has a different training program involved.

Perhaps, just as important is the new idea of taking off in between event “just to run/cycle/swim” for the fun of it. This is a great mental flush and when I do go back to training for an event, I feel fresher and more focused.  The sense that the training has a definite end result and purpose is great. I can push hard, do the appropriate planning and know that after the event is over; I will have recovery time and can relax for a while.