Friday at Five: Signage
Happy Friday, friends!
It's race week in the Wright household. Tomorrow, I'm returning to the Duncan Ridge Trail 50k, where I ran my first ultra nine years ago.
To be honest, I'm pretty anxious about this one. 32 miles with 10,000+ feet of elevation gain won't come easy. I did a training run two weeks ago with 19 miles and 4,000 of gain, and I definitely didn't feel strong. When I was 23, I finished with 14 minutes to cutoff. The worst and best part about ultras is the uncertainty. Even the professionals that do this often DNF (did not finish).
You'll hear next week (or on Twitter tomorrow) how it went.
In honor of race week, here's a different type of Friday at Five. Five of my favorite race signs and lessons that apply to more than just running to help us finish the week well:
You think you're tired... I've been holding this sign since 10:00am.
I love this one. Firstly, because I love sarcasm. And this is about as sarcastic as it gets.
But I also love it because it hints at a truth: we often process someone else's pain through the lens of our own pain. We think that while they're in pain, they know nothing of our pain.
It's partially true. It's also not helpful. My pain doesn't lessen or change yours. And we all experience our own pain more intensely than anyone else's.
Don't dismiss others' pain because of your own.
You're running better than the government.
Hilarious. I first saw this one at a half marathon right after the government had shut down! It always stuck with me.
Here's food for thought: How many years of experience does Congress have collectively across both houses, including all support staff? How effective is Congress?
Never confuse experience with effectiveness.
This is a lot of work for a free banana.
At the end of most races, you get a free banana. There's usually also a t-shirt and/or some sort of medal. But that's not why runners run the race.
Don't toe a starting line with the finish in mind. Enjoy the journey.
Worst Parade Ever
If you don't have a context for a race, it looks weird from the outside. There are many moments when I'm training in full ultra kit (pack, headphones, headlamp, gels, water, electrolytes, trail shoes, etc) that looks ridiculous because I'm running through downtown Jefferson. When you show up to the race, you find a few hundred other people like you. It reminds me when you play the long game, what looks ridiculous to start makes a whole lot of sense down the road.
Don't be afraid to be misunderstood.
Don't trust the fart.
Nothing deeper here. Just good advice. (especially for my almost three year old)
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