NFLR and getting your moneys worth out of racing

Wednesday, April 13, 2016 · Mike Davis

Good morning! Grab your coffee and pull up a stool! Looks like here on the Seacoast of New Hampshire we can finally break out the sunscreen! Great running weather ahead for a few days. Even this past Sunday was great for the “Reds Race for a Better Community” 5 miler once we got moving. It was another great showing for “No Finish Line Running” as we had a number of our winter training group out there as well as some of our other regulars. While most of NFLR runners will probably never challenge at the front of the pack, we will certainly represent all that makes running enjoyable and special. There is nothing wrong with wanting to run a personal record (PR) or to compete in your age bracket but, at the core of NFLR is truly “running for the joy.” While it is exciting to finish well and see time chopped off of a previous race, the real sign of success is: Was it actually fun? Void of enjoyment running becomes a success only determined by the end result what happened along the way becomes meaningless. So much can be enjoyed during races; the uniqueness of the course, the energy and of course the other runners. So many times I hear about a conversation a runner has with another runner whom they don’t even know and it is always humorous or encouraging. These conversations are all a part of what makes the running community so special. If the course is a blur and all that you remember is passing people, I am not really sure you got much value out of your entry fee. NFLR loves to improve and run strong but, we always get our money’s worth! I personally got my money’s worth Sunday. My knee held up nicely and thankfully I was able to overcome my cold to enjoy the race. If it were not for the group of NFLR runners I would not have even shown up for the race but, there energy truly made the difference for me. I preached to all of our runners to take it slow that first mile because of the climb and we all did exactly that; together. After the first mile we spread out some and I picked up my pace a bit knowing that I had some downhill to work with. Because of my cold I got weak around mile 3 but hung in there anticipating the water stop. With a sip of water and a few seconds of walking I continued on knowing the final challenge would be the hills near the end of mile 4. Once there I knew if I could just keep my feet moving I would get through the hills and the final mile would be downhill. After getting past the final hills I picked up my pace for the final stretch and with about a quarter mile to go a sharp pain shot through my left calf! Good grief! I immediately stopped and was unsure of my next move. I walked a few steps and then slowly began to run, shortening my stride enough to protect my calf. I picked up some speed (the hill helped) and was able to run the final distance and crossing the finish line. I am grateful that I was only a quarter mile from the finish, had I been more than a mile I am not sure I would have attempted to finish. A little frustrating yes but, overall I had a wonderful race and got to enjoy watching all of our runners except one finish. The only one I didn’t get to see finish was Doug, who was ahead of me (considerably). I have given my calf a few days of healing and stretching so hopefully it will be okay. Sunday was a great day in the running community! Tonight at 6pm NFLR will be down at the “7th Settlement Brewery” in Dover for a pub run. If you are looking to have some fun, come join us for a 60 minute run. We may do a trail if the group is up for it. After we may even hang out and have a drink or food. Time to get a moving. Have a great Wednesday and see you on the road! God Bless! Mike