Your Best Results —In Running, Photography, or Anything Else — Often Don’t Arrive When Expected
There are photos I’ve waited an hour or more to capture… while kneeling in mud. And in many of those instances, I came away with nothing to show for my efforts.
The photo of the fox I got this morning, on the other hand, was one of the easiest photos I’ve ever taken.
I put down my coffee & fired off 5 frames… through the window of our kitchen door… while still in my underwear.
I’d been trying to capture an expressive portrait of one of the foxes that lives in the woods behind our house for years, and today’s photo was by far the best result to date.
I’ve seen many situations in other areas of life where the best results don’t arrive precisely when you think they should, and it can be easy to get frustrated and give up prematurely.
This past Monday, I attempted to achieve my Labor Day goal of breaking 25 minutes in a 5k run.
I had trained for 15 weeks using a three-day-per-week training program developed by Brady Holmer, and I had looked forward to smashing the 25-minute barrier for weeks.
In order to achieve my goal I needed to average 8:03 per mile, so when I passed the first mile marker in 8 minutes flat, and was not overly tired, I felt like I had a good chance.
But then over the second mile the fatigue started to mount, and the best I could muster was an 8:12. I realized I was in trouble, and over the third mile the asphalt trail began to feel more like quicksand.
I finished the 5k in 25:49, a full 50 seconds off my goal, and immediately started having doubts about my ability to follow through on what I set out to accomplish.
I posted the disappointing outcome on Twitter, and was feeling pretty down, but the response was amazing.
Brady boosted my confidence when he tweeted “Still a solid effort Chris! I know you didn’t hit the goal, but you’re in sub-25 shape. Just didn’t materialize today. It’s going down in 2 weeks!!!”
I also received encouragement from dozens of others, many who have significantly more experience in the sport of running than I have. My disappointment gradually turned to determination, and I decided I would try again.
I went back and reviewed my training session notes from the past 15 weeks, and saw that I had successfully completed all 45 of the workouts Brady had prescribed.
Brady was right. The work had been done. The results just hadn’t quite arrived.
On Friday morning, I laced up the sneakers once again, and headed out to the Dutchess Rail Trail. I had told Brady I was planning to try again, but he encouraged me to run a two-mile time trial as a way of boosting my confidence for next week’s Dutchess Classic 5k, where he figured the adrenaline boost of a real race would help me break 25 minutes.
Brady suggested I run two miles at a pace of approximately 7:50 per mile, and that was my intention.
I ran the first mile in 7:48, and much to my surprise, I felt pretty good. After another half mile I was still feeling okay, and it occurred to me I might be able get my goal. I eased up slightly, figuring I should save a little for the end, and I completed the second mile in 8:03.
I was frantically doing the math in my head. I needed to run the final 1.1 miles at about an 8:14 pace, and that seemed within reach.
But once again, that third mile proved difficult. As I approached the final quarter mile, I looked at my Strava app and could see my average per mile pace had slipped to 8:04, and I was really hitting a wall.
I was on the verge of settling for a near miss, but at the 2.9 mark I decided to see what I had left, and I gave it everything I had.
I could see the average pace move to 8:03, and I knew I just had to dig deep for another minute and a half… Then the pace dropped to 8:02, and I was home free.
I crossed the line in 24:55, and now I can think about my next goal.
The above article was published in the Biggest Comeback weekly email on September 12, 2021. Chris will begin his training for his first ever half marathon on Memorial Day. Once again, the program has been designed by Brady Holmer. Chris plans to run the 2022 Fall Foliage Half Marathon in Rhinebeck, NY, on October 9. He will be documenting his progress and sharing what he learns in the Biggest Comeback email, which is sponsored by Simply Snackin’.
