This posting is actually two blog posts in one because the Lululemon Sea Wheeze Half Marathon made me pause and think about WHY I run in a way that no other race has done.
From a race perspective, the best part of the Sea Wheeze was the magnificent course. However, I do have some hard learned lessons from the Sea Wheeze:
Lesson 1: Train according to your fitness level. Not all canned training plans are for everyone.
For the Sea Wheeze, I had put together my own training plan several months ago, but scrapped it to run according to the Lululemon's training plan. This was a big mistake because the Lululemon plan was easier than what I had originally planned for myself. It incorporated yoga sessions in between short sprint runs and a very slow progression of increasing distance runs. It was probably designed for non-experienced runners and was intended to highlight the free yoga classes and runs at Lululemon stores. My body wanted to do more miles, but I was tired/busy/lazy so I stuck with the Lululemon plan because it fit my tired/busy/lazy mindset. The end result was a tired and lazy race.
Lesson 2: Less race information = More self-sufficient runner
Races are complicated affairs, and this was the inaugural running of the Sea Wheeze, so I mentally prepared myself for a few snafus. The race had a cute looking webpage that did not provide much information about the actual race. The online course map was vague with few noted water stations or restrooms--which are common race problems in my experience.
I wore a water belt with one flask of water on race day, and it was my best decision of the race. There were water stations approximately every 5K (3 miles), and the third water station had run out of paper cups and was handing out water in large, tripping hazard, plastic cups. After the race I heard that they asked people to share cups (though I didn't witness it myself).
Restrooms were also scarce. To my surprise, there were portable restrooms at the 1K mark with a line of only 3 people. Against my better judgment, I passed this restroom and the next one ended up being a few miles later and had a really really long line. There were no convenient open businesses to stop in for restroom breaks along most of the route, and I killed a total of 15 minutes waiting for one portable restroom or the other.
Lesson 3: Good races don't need hype
The purpose of this race was to increase Lululemon's bottom line. Period. It started with the e-mails telling us there would be cute 'race-expo-only' Lululemon products. Then in-store salespeople hints at 'something extra special' at the end of the race. To the mailed polka-dot shorts with inspirational training post-cards.
Once we got to Vancouver, the race expo consisted of racks of Lululemon clothes in a single Convention Center room. The expo was open to the public, and none of the clothes had 'Sea Wheeze' specific text. As a result, there was a lot of visible hoarding. It's what I imagine a Star Wars figurine sale at Comic-con would look like, except most of the people were blonde and tan female 20-somethings that were (from the empty clothing racks) size 4 or smaller. The Lululemon people created a successful 'demand by limitation' scenario. There was very little product selection available after only a few hours on the first day.
During the race, almost everybody wore Lululemon gear. A few miles into the race I noticed that I hadn't seen a single charity run shirt. I hadn't realized that the special "Run in Memory of..." or "I beat Cancer"-type shirts were so motivating to a race until I did a race that didn't have a single one of these shirts. I had miles and time to think about it... do the profits from this race go back to Lululemon? The registration fee was a steep $130 for a half marathon, and there was nary a mention of charity fundraising.
This race was so centered on this one clothing company that there was no sincere feeling of community. I didn't wear a single lick of Lululemon clothing that day and I got obvious looks of disdain while I ran. After a while, these looks got to me. They made me angry. My achilles started to hurt and I started to walk. Then I started to feel defeated. I could care less about these Lululemon people, and there was no other motivating factor for this race. Good races give you something to care about and a reason to run. This was not a good race.
To finish it off, there was actually no 'special surprise' after the race. No race shirt. Just a weird keychain on shoelace medal-substitute. Maybe the surprise was the post-race buffet? I did like the waffles, fruit, and granola bars (real food, no post-race elixirs in a can). Or maybe the surprise was that the race was actually 13.6 not 13.1 miles. The course is longer than an officially sanctioned half marathon. Surprise!
Why do I run?
I used to have the "It's only a Half" mindset. And it's a good mindset to have because I honestly believe the half marathon distance is challenging but not too physically destructive with proper training. However, this race made me want to quit running for the rest of my life. Not because it was that hard of a course. Or because I was that out-of-shape. But because my MIND was just OVER it.
I guess running has become a love-hate relationship for me.
I've been running consistently for over a decade now, and it wasn't until the last two years that my dedication to running has started to wane. This past winter, I felt especially unmotivated in most aspects of my life, and running in the dreary cold rain was just one of them.
I trained for the Sea Wheeze, but it felt like I just 'phoned it in'. Something has happened that I never imagined 5 years ago. My ligaments and tendons are starting to feel old, and I'm chronically creaky and achy now. For the first time during this race I became more concerned with preventing injury than with pushing through the demons. So the question is, what do I do to motivate myself again? And WHY do I want to motivate myself again?
Why I run is easy. I run for the feel good endorphins. I run to think more clearly. I run to remember what youth and freedom feel like. I run to numb the pain. I run for the feeling of scrubbed lungs and a strong heart. I run so I can enjoy food without guilt. I run to be social, and I run to be alone.
Motivating myself to run long distance is become harder to justify. I'm afraid of problematic injuries (I already have a muscle cramp issue). There are lots of other fun sports and activities besides running. Worst of all, running races has lost its appeal-- especially with the proliferation of races that are less about running and more about making money.
So what's my plan? I'm not sure I have one yet. Though I intend to do a 5K when I am 80 years old, and need to make sure I keep myself in shape for it. I guess the real question is, what do I do in the several decades between now and then to ensure I make this goal?
