No official race results yet, but I promised a longer post about today’s 5k.

I did this race because I’ve done it in the past. It’s a fundraiser for Women Helping Battered Women and it’s a worthy cause. It was the first race I ever did. But my heart wasn’t in it this year. I signed up at the last minute, didn’t do any fundraising really (as I’m going to be hitting people up to sponsor me for my next half I didn’t want to push it), and even going into it this morning I just wanted to get it over with. It was a nice day, it’s a nice route, it’s a good event. Given my estimated finish time (by my watch) my pace was pretty good-to-average for me (though it felt anything but while I was out there). But since that first half marathon, I’m different. I realized as I started running longer distances in training that the reason I quit running so many times before is that I didn’t find it satisfying. I found it drudgery. 2 miles, 3 miles, blah. Some people love that. I’m not one of those people. I like going out for an hour or more. These short races don’t satisfy me. I’m not interested in them. Much like realizing halfway through my high school years that I didn’t like being onstage during the musicals, but I loved doing behind the scenes work, I’ve figured out my running life. I don’t like short runs–I like the long stuff–so, other than the necessary short runs in my training plan, why should I keep paying to run short races?

I laughed it off when my friend Erik said I have the makings of an ultrarunner. But now I can see what he meant. I might not ever do the 50 or 100 mile runs (probably not, but never say never, right?) but I’d rather do 7 than 2. I’d rather run for 2 hours than 20 minutes. And I’m S-L-O-W, but I don’t care because I finish. I get the job done. I will eventually cover the distance. I’m good at keeping something in the tank for the last push.

And I decided this week that I’m going to do the coast-to-coast Disney races for my 35th birthday (mind you that I’m not even 30 until February). This will give me plenty of time to save up for entry fees and travel costs and I will get that coveted 3rd medal. It also gives me a larger goal to keep working towards. I basically need to have a race in mind at all times or my training goes to shit.

And I think that covers it for today.