Compete versus Complete

I had the pleasure yesterday of being a guest panelist on the Runners Roundtable podcast (http://runnersroundtable.com/) and the topic was about race fueling and the main was guest was Anthony (http://runbikeorswimtoday.blogspot). I really enjoyed being part of the show and I know I will cringe when I listen to it on my next run and wonder why I made a fool of myself.

I was on the show to offer a different perspective on fueling since as a Type 2 diabetic my needs are different then others. The one thing from the discussion that I can’t get out of mind is the comment on the needs for runners “who run to compete versus those who run to complete”. Now I know the comment was NOT made in a derogatory manor and it wasn’t made in any manor that lessens the accomplishments of those who run with the sole goal of “finishing” the 26.2 race, but it did strike a nerve for me.

As a new runner I have always viewed the marathon as task that was beyond my reach because prior to November 2008 I didn’t run, thus I would never fool myself into thinking that a marathon was something I could do. When I began running I set small goals, being able to finish a 5K, then a 10K and then a half marathon. Once I completed my first race the thought of running a marathon for my 40th birthday did pop into the back of my head. Thanks to the help of some friends, that new a lot more then me about running, I was able to set the realistic goal of a half marathon first then the full marathon. It was also with the help of guidance from a lot of people that I learned that running to “complete” was an appropriate goal and that I needed to get the notion of time out of my head. Now I am a competitive person by nature, so this has been a tough pill to swallow.

I am now training for my first marathon which will be the 113th running of the Boston Marathon, I am running for a charity but that doesn’t lessen my right to be there. I am training like everyone else; since this is my first marathon I am fortunate to know that I am guaranteed a PR in this run so I have no expectations of a specific time I need to get. When I put my toe on line in on Patriots day (I am in corral #23 so I am hoping it is still Patriots Day when I get to cross the starting line) I am competing in every sense of the word. I am competing with all of those people including myself that said I couldn’t run, I am competing with myself for the strength to stand behind my training and not retreat, I am competing for my family. Now my family is going to love me regardless of my time, so I don’t need to impress them with a sub 4 hour finish, I just need to follow through with what I told them I was going to do which is run a marathon. So again, I know that the comment wasn’t made in a way shape or form to downplay the goals of runners it was meant to describe the goals for fueling but I just need to clarify that I am competing in the Boston Marathon by preparing to complete it.

Thank you to all of you who said I couldn’t do this, I hope to prove to you on the 20th that I can. If you want to follow my progress on that day my bib # is 23714.