To Race or Not To Race...

To race or not to race, that is the question.

I suspect all of us have asked ourselves this at one time or another. Whether it's due to injury, recovery from injury, busy schedule, lack of conditioning, lousy weather or whatever, we've all faced situations where we're not certain if we want to get up early to run in a race.

That's where I find myself now. I’m signed up for the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon on October 16. This is one of my favorite races. Exceptionally well-organized with a relatively flat course starting in downtown Des Moines, then making its way along paved trails going through Waterworks Park and around Gray’s Lake before returning us downtown for the finish. Weather is typically not as a major an issue this time of year.

Then why wouldn't I run in this race?

Big reason is that I'm recovering from an injury. (BTW, I talked about dealing with injuries in my previous blog.) Recovering isn’t to be confused with recovered. I don’t want to hamper any progress. Or worse, reinjure that left hamstring.

Although I'm at least a week away from having to make a final decision, as I think this through, I ask myself the following questions.

What is my goal for this race? Is it to compete? Get in a good workout? Have fun? There’s nothing wrong with any of those options. The only mistake would be if I were not honest with myself. With that in mind, I already know that answer. I’m there to compete. That’s why I sign up for races and devote considerable time to training. I go into every race hoping to have a strong performance and place as high as I can overall as well as in my age group.

Like I said, that’s me. Nothing at all wrong with treating a race as a workout or having fun. But having ran Cross Country and Track from high school through college, I still enjoying the challenges that come with doing the best I can in a race. Which leads to the next question.

Can run this race at a competitive level? A more difficult question. After spending much of September with reduced miles and cutting out speedwork, I know I will not be at a peak condition. On the other hand, those few weeks did not wipe away several months of quality training. While hitting a “PR” is highly unlikely, I am unsure of what pace I can run. That prompts the next question.

What is the risk of running this race? It would be the height of foolishness to reinjure my hamstring. That would have me looking at several additional weeks of recovery - including more dry needling in PT! It could potentially cost me a chance of competing in some or all of my remaining three races for this calendar year. To better address this question, I need to see how I feel running 11-13 miles as an easy run and participate in some speedwork. If I’m capable of doing both of those, it’s more likely I can compete in this half marathon at a pace closer to what I’d prefer. But if not, there’s the next question.

What is the risk of not running this race? This one’s another easy answer. I don’t need this race in order to qualify for any other races. The main downsides are eating the registration costs and - more importantly - missing out on seeing everyone I know at the race. (And not listening to the killer playlist I’d planned for this event. If I don't do this, I‘ll have to find another race for those cool songs from Panic! At the Disco and Pablo Cruise.) Helping answer this question is considering the next one.

When is the next race? That would be The Hillbilly Hike on the first Saturday in November where I’ll run a 10K on fast, paved flat trails south of Des Moines. It may not be as prestigious as the IMT Half, but the race is certainly popular, bringing in a good number of participants. Having pie at the end doesn’t hurt their cause either. If my hamstring’s health is still a concern, the likelihood of reinjury is lessened with both the shorter distance and another three weeks of recovery.

Given those considerations, it’s a coin toss whether or not I’m running the IMT two weeks from Sunday. As I’ve indicated, there are no wrong or right answers so long as I’m honest with myself. But there remain two more lingering questions.

Do I show up as a spectator? I’m a bit embarrassed to say that this would be “no” for me. I really do not like watching races when I believe I should be running them. This goes way back to high school and college when I’d attended or helped out at a couple races where I wasn’t a participant. Those were long, unpleasant days. I wanted to be out there in the race. I wanted my legs to ache and heart to pound. I wanted to see if I had the energy for that final push. I didn’t outgrow this feeling either. Back in 2016, I watched my then future stepdaughter sing along the IMT route and again, felt miserable seeing the other runners without being part of it. That day likely helped prompt my return to competitive racing.

Do I pick up the swag if I don’t compete in the race? Although it can definitely be stated that since I’ve already paid the registration costs, I’ve every right to whatever items they offer, that’s not how I’m wired. The same pride that pushes me to compete insists that I participate in the race if I’m going to later wear any gear that accompanies it. But, like I keep saying, there’s no right or wrong answer on either of these questions.

That’s enough of a glimpse into my rather twisted way of thinking. I’m interested in your thoughts. What would you do under similar circumstances? What would be considerations driving your decision? You can comment below or on Facebook.