People who don't train properly and frustrate you.

[Ndusmama]

I just need to vent am deathly my family doesn't understand running or training or my frustrations.

A friend asked me to run a 15k with her in a few weeks. She says she has been training. This will be her first real race. She has only ever done fun runs, inflatable, or color 5k runs. Well today we got together to run because she wants to stay together during the 15k. Come to find out she hasn't run over 3 miles EVER! She has been doing spartan training. Her boyfriend does spartan races and she been training with him. I am concerned she won't be able to do 15k cause spartan and 15k training are not the same. I was going to try to use this race as my time for Disneyland half in September for corral placement. I am averaging a 12 minute mile (although tonight I was so upset I did a 10 minute mile average on a 4 mile run).

 

[miker1251]

Just explain that you are using that run time for corral placement at the Disneyland Half. Let her know your intended time/pace. At that point it is her choice to keep up or not.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

You are upset with this person because your goals and preparation differ and you are only finding this out now. IMO, you should be frustrated with yourself, not your friend, for not talking about these things sooner. You now have a choice - bail on your friend (who expects you to run this race with her), running the race on your own for your own reasons, or have fun and choose another race for your PoT. If I were you, I would run the race with my friend. Friends are more important than races. Find another race for your PoT.

 

[Ndusmama]

You are upset with this person because your goals and preparation differ and you are only finding this out now. IMO, you should be frustrated with yourself, not your friend, for not talking about these things sooner. You now have a choice - bail on your friend (who expects you to run this race with her), running the race on your own for your own reasons, or have fun and choose another race for your PoT. If I were you, I would run the race with my friend. Friends are more important than races. Find another race for your PoT.

No I think I am more upset that I don't think she really knows what she is getting into. 9 miles straight is not 9 miles of obstacles coarses that you can walk between. I am not sure she is prepared for 9 miles of running. Our schedules are opposite and the only reason I found out yesterday was because I actually managed to see her. Otherwise I wouldn't have known until race day. When I have asked how she has been doing things are going great according to her. I never thought to ask how she was training. If I can't use it as Time oh well life happens.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

No I think I am more upset that I don't think she really knows what she is getting into.

That's what friends are for, to help and support one another. If she isn't ready, she is going to need your support even more.

My favorite race of all time is a half marathon that I ran with my wife at WDW in 2014. She was injured and barely crossed the finish line because of the pain and the lack of training that came with the injury. She finished with tears running down her face. Those human moments are what draw us to sports, and to one another.

 

[jhorstma]

If she's run 5Ks and does spartan training then my guess is that you have nothing to worry about and that she'll be able to complete the 15K at a reasonable pace.

 

[Ndusmama]

If she's run 5Ks and does spartan training then my guess is that you have nothing to worry about and that she'll be able to complete the 15K at a reasonable pace.

Thank you. The not running distances is a bit scary to me. The training is so different. I guess there is only one way to find out though right.

 

[Ndusmama]

That's what friends are for, to help and support one another. If she isn't ready, she is going to need your support even more.

My favorite race of all time is a half marathon that I ran with my wife at WDW in 2014. She was injured and barely crossed the finish line because of the pain and the lack of training that came with the injury. She finished with tears running down her face. Those human moments are what draw us to sports, and to one another.

I actually finished my first half that way. I was in a walk (I run/walk). Around mile five I was in a walk cycle and a lady started talking to me, she had rolled her ankle earlier. She had told her husband to keep going and she was going to just keep going and see how far she would get. I ended up staying and walking with her the rest of the way. We fished at the back of the race but she finished with her ankle and I finished my first.

 

[bumbershoot]

My yoga teacher never ever runs. She does yoga, Pilates, and spin classes. That's it. At 37 she was invited to do an 8k in Seattle which finishes up a hill.

She didn't practice at all except to walk around in her brand new shoes purchased because they were pretty. She ran with her friends at their practiced pace and they all finished faster than I did.

And for that run I hadn't actually run in a good while but had taken the classes the yoga teacher taught, and I finished decently for me. Cross training can really help.

Talk to her about the "what ifs" and see how she would feel if you went on your own at some point and don't worry.

 

[katiekinzakat]

Totally anecdotal, but I had never run over 3 miles before I ran my first half marathon. I finished with a 14 minute/mile pace. So a 15k is entirely doable. Especially since Spartan cross-training seems pretty intense.

 

[Ndusmama]

My yoga teacher never ever runs. She does yoga, Pilates, and spin classes. That's it. At 37 she was invited to do an 8k in Seattle which finishes up a hill.

She didn't practice at all except to walk around in her brand new shoes purchased because they were pretty. She ran with her friends at their practiced pace and they all finished faster than I did.

And for that run I hadn't actually run in a good while but had taken the classes the yoga teacher taught, and I finished decently for me. Cross training can really help.

Talk to her about the "what ifs" and see how she would feel if you went on your own at some point and don't worry.

That's a good point. I will try to bring up what ifs of either of us not being able to finish or other scenarios. She did ask me to do it with her but then she asked another person to do it with her afterwards that I haven't met. So she may just end up leaving me.

And never underestimate the power of new shoes cause they are pretty. It's like shiney new race medals.

Totally anecdotal, but I had never run over 3 miles before I ran my first half marathon. I finished with a 14 minute/mile pace. So a 15k is entirely doable. Especially since Spartan cross-training seems pretty intense.

I'm not entirely sure she is doing the full on spartan training though. I think so far she has done a five mile hike and a couple run/walk 5ks as her training. Her boyfriend during the five mile hike was carrying 50 pound sand bags. She wants to go climb a mountain the Monday before the race with me since I have climbed the mountain and neither her nor her boyfriend have. I just question her training. Hopefully everything works out and I am just concerned over nothing.

 

[pixarmom]

I agree with the advice to find another race for your POT. Whenever I run with someone else, regardless of their training or lack of training, I don't plan to run for time. Too many variables involved, and I don't want to put that kind of pressure on someone else. The joy of running with someone else is running together. The joy of running on my own is quiet running zen and possibly a PR, an age group award and/or a POT to use for an upcoming race. But when I'm running with someone else, I put all of those things out of my mind and just enjoy hanging out with my running partner.

 

[Ndusmama]

I agree with the advice to find another race for your POT. Whenever I run with someone else, regardless of their training or lack of training, I don't plan to run for time. Too many variables involved, and I don't want to put that kind of pressure on someone else. The joy of running with someone else is running together. The joy of running on my own is quiet running zen and possibly a PR, an age group award and/or a POT to use for an upcoming race. But when I'm running with someone else, I put all of those things out of my mind and just enjoy hanging out with my running partner.

Very nicely put.