Today I completed my sixth half-marathon and fifth Armadillo Dash! It was a humid, rainy morning, and I was undertrained for the race. But I showed up, ran a decent 13.1, and earned a cool medal at the end.
My finishing time was 2:02:52, about ten minutes slower than last year’s race. I expected to feel disappointed about this, but thankfully, I’m not. I feel really happy about participating and not letting perfect be the enemy of good. Today is the first time in several years that it’s taken me more than two hours to complete a half, but you know what? That’s two hours I got to spend on my fitness, on my health, on my physical and emotional well-being. It’s two hours that were well-lived. I love a PR as much as the next runner, but it makes sense to me that some seasons of life are more conducive to PRs. Whether or not I’m setting PRs, running keeps me grounded and sane. And apparently, I’m so innately appreciative of running’s benefits that a non-PR race day is A-OK with me.
Today’s post title came from one of the race signs. It’s a good one, don’t you think? I’m keeping that in mind, both on the course and in my everyday life.
Run on, friends! And happy March!
