JW’s Weblog

It is the time of year when we evaluate employee performance at work. At the same time, we are well into race season. Whether inside the office walls or outside on the road and trail, we are being ranked and graded and bucketed into a percentile of some kind or another.

You start to ask yourself, “How good am I?”

Two examples. I recently placed 10th out of 558 in my age group at a hometown run. I thought this was awesome! I emailed my parents and in-laws to share in this glorious news. “Look at me… I am fast! Yay!”

But then I got to thinking… this was a hometown race. There were tons of strollers and walkers and people just there for fun. It isn’t like it was a highly competitive field. Maybe placing 10th really didn’t mean anything.

And then a very accomplished athlete I know recently questioned his awesomeness when he placed middle of the pack two races in a row. In fact, he suddenly began to think he was “just average.”

Whereas I placed 10th in a small, hometown run. He placed middle of the pack in a very competitive, very well-known triathlon and an equally competitive and well-known endurance race.

In the immortal words of Carrie Bradshaw, I started to wonder, when are we average?

Are you average if you place in the 50 percentile, but it is your first or longest race? Can you possibly be average when you race 31, 50, 100 miles? Does average even exist at those distances or are you, by definition, extraordinary? Are you average if you place middle of the pack, but you smoked your PR? Perhaps you are average by the standards of that one race, but you are amazing by your own standards.

I suppose the bar of average moves all the time depending on who is doing the defining and around what conditions. I thought my top 10 finish was well above average, but the run was only 4.2 miles. My friend thought his mid-pack finish was only average, but the run was 50 miles. It’s all relative.

- 6 miles. hills. 9 days to San Diego Marathon -

I started running in college for a free credit. By taking “running for life” — or something like that — I was able to knock out all my PE requirements with one course. Sounded like a plan to me. Once in the class I met a cute track-team boy who invited me to join him on runs.

Seems that, as with many things in life, it all started with a cute boy.

I was maybe running 9-10 miles a week but it was enough to drop ten pounds. I started doing crazy healthy things like bringing water bottles to parties so I wouldn’t drink beer. As long as you have something in your hand, people don’t ask what they can get you.

Eventually the beer came back into my life — as it should my friends — but never again in such large quantities.

The semester came to a close and the cute track boy disappeared, but my desire to run did not.

- rest day. 12 days to San Diego Marathon -

I am a 35 year old mother of three boys. I have been married for thirteen years. I work full time. I like to play with my kids, read books, walk my dog, be with my family, hang with my best mates, and work in my garden. I can equally enjoy camping and the Ritz, beer and champagne, cereal and lobster. I prefer the beach to mountains, snorkeling to scuba, sails to motors.

And I run.

To some, I run a lot. To others, I barely run at all.

Since January 2008, I have run over 900 miles. Since January 2006, I have run over 3000 miles.

Born from my love of running, this blog will chronicle my adventures, my training, my progress, the people I meet along the way (or already know), the places I see, and whatever else seems mildly interesting.

Perhaps other runners will find it compelling. If not, at least my mom and kids will think it is cool.

- 5 miles @ 8:30. 13 days to San Diego Marathon -