Slow AF—174 Days Until Dopey Challenge

Jul 17, 2024

· fitness, marathon, run, running, training

I run and walk remarkably slow. Even when I move at a speed that is fast for me, I am slow relative to other runners and walkers. The Disney races start at 5 a.m. (so you start traveling to corrals at 3 a.m. and then have cut-off times so they can open the parks at 8 a.m.). The whole set-up is kind of ridiculous.

When you run a 5K that starts at 5 a.m., the sun doesn’t rise until the race is over.

It’s often a struggle for runners and walkers to embrace their slowness, because the world celebrates speed.

What’s not to love about speed?

Going faster is typically what runners want from their training and their racing, but I, and other runners like me, have to find other goals. When I say that out loud to other runners, they often discourage me from “giving up” on getting faster. But, I’m 60 and I was never fast, so, to me, I’m not giving up, I’m staying in touch with myself and not going with the crowd to just set myself up for failure.

I interviewed an older (but younger than me) runner recently and she said she has changed her goal from speed to friendship. Crossing the finish line with others is what makes her feel successful and happy these days.

For me, the goal is consistency. In fact, one reason I’m training for these races (which, I’m not actually sure I will even run, just FYI, a lot of professional situations have to align) is to stay the course and keep running three days a week.

The fact that I look forward to running these days and that I would continue to run even if I stopped working at Runner’s World, is an unexpected gift and a privilege.