Let me set the scene. So here it is June 3, 1989 and I am in Wake Forest, North Carolina with 600 other runners for a 5K (3.1 Mile) Race. Our athletic club in Cary, NC has entered us in the team competition as you can have 4 runners and they count the first three. I am not a speedster by any means and if I finish in the 20 minute area I am happy. This is only my third 5K race ever, but I have found if I can be somewhere around a 6 and a half minute first mile, I am on target to not only finish but possibly break the 20 minute barrier.
The race is at 5:30pm on a Saturday as the temperature is still in the mid to upper 80’s. I usually run in the mornings with cooler temperatures. The other tricky part of this particular race is Wake Forest has some hilly terrain and we are starting at the top and the first mile is basically all downhill. My pregnant wife and 3 year old son are here to see me at the finish line and then there is a picnic after the race.
The horn blows and our four runners from Cary along with 600 strong are off and hopeful of a respectable middle of the pack team finish. I’m feeling quite perky with plenty left in my tank as we approach the one mile mark and our times being shouted out. Hoping for that 6:30ish call out, I hear “5 minutes 57 seconds” and immediately I know I am in trouble. I have never run that fast for one mile, knowing I still have over two miles to go. The second mile flattens out and then starts to climb up a long elevated slope. By the end of the second mile, Mr. Worry has set in along with his friend, Pre Rigor Mortis.
Halfway through the third mile our fourth and final team runner passes me easily as I am currently filming a jogging shoe commercial sponsored by a cement company. She yells, “You don’t want them to count me.” Thankfully we are approaching a slight downgrade to the last few hundred yards to the finish. I am motivated by wanting to be counted and my family cheering at the hundred yard mark. I end up passing my teammate and finishing at 19:57. After recovering from pure exhaustion, my family and I enjoy a tasty picnic. It cost me the whole next day as I devoured too much food in warm temperatures after the grueling run.
What did I learn from this experience? Obviously, I should train some under like temperature and course topography conditions. Just as if not more importantly, Pace myself! The only reason I finished well was out of pure pride to show my family and team I was a decent runner. That is not sustainable.
When I Google, “What does learn to pace yourself mean?” “pace yourself” “: to do something at a speed that is steady and that allows you to continue without becoming too tired. If you don’t pace yourself, you’ll wear yourself out. He quickly learned that he would need to pace himself so he could get all of his work done.”
How are you in the pacing department? Do you find too many times you are going 100 miles an hour and then you drop, out of pure exhaustion. Not a smart way to live, but on a bright note, you keep the energy drink companies solvent and the medical field employed….. I recommend checking out these flowers along your journey as it not only will slow you down but it will calm you.
I checked out www.prevention.com and found a great article titled, “15 Healthy Habits From People Who’ve Lived to 100.” Here are the 15.
“1. Stretch It Out
2. Get Outside
3. Don’t Smoke
4. Eat more vegetables
5. Have Faith in God
6. Be social
7. Eat beans
8. Stay positive
9. Be proactive about maintaining your health
10. Keep moving (on a personal note, I do not think this means addresses, unless your picture is in the post office)
11. Give back
12. Nosh on nuts
13. Have a sense of purpose
14. Don’t stress
15. Avoid skipping breakfast”
As we all have found in our trek through time, we have ups and downs. A slice of the pacing pie was best illustrated to me by Joe Paterno, former football head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions. I am paraphrasing when Joe said, “When you are 5-0 you are not as good as they say you are and when you are 0-5, you are not nearly as bad as they say you are.” In other words, don’t get too high or too low, stick to your fundamental plan of a consistent work ethic and positive results will show up sooner or later.
I know in my younger years trying to slow down took not only discipline but it seemed like a job with a good deal of drudgery. There is little fanfare in pacing yourself but the ensuing health benefits are inevitable. Us in the mature circle find a bonus chip in our pocket of not having quite the energy level so the process is not as mundane. Look over the list of 15 again and see where you are now and can you work toward the 15.
To put a bow on it, this theory to have a long, healthy future does not come without defiance. Pacing myself in a race or a work project is a phenomenon I can buy into. The facet that continues to challenge me is my eating style. I was extremely fortunate growing up as not only was my Mom a great cook but in most cases there were seconds at dinner time. Once in a while though, Mother would set a plate in front of me of some specialty dish and she would say, “Bob, this is all there is, you can eat it in five seconds and then get out the PB and J or you can take your time, actually taste it and enjoy it.” I can visualize all of our former 3 dogs laughing and then raising their paws to ask what “taste it” means? Needless to say, after 68 years, I still need the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car in front of my fork at every meal.
Oh my gosh, what can I say that has not been said by me before? I so thoroughly enjoy not only your experienced writing style, but the content is so beautifully woven with facts and life stories. This blog is a prime example of that and I loved it. Immensely!! When does your book come out? Write on my friend, write on!
Thanks Richard! You are one that does a wonderful job of pacing yourself!
I’m impressed with your sub 20 minute 5K. And with your Mom, I had to laugh when she gave you the line about enjoying your meal and what comes next. Thanks for the entertaining writing and incentive on how to live life to its fullest.
Kenny, I cannot keep up with you as you are quite the runner these days. I know after watching me at the dinner table, you always get a little nervous, is there enough……
I bet you can still break the 20 minute mark. Once an athlete always an athlete.
Great article! Wish you had written it 20 years ago.
Thanks David, Yes, I too wish I had seen this list 20 years ago, but hopefully we can all
do our part in working on pacing ourselves for a future.
I have been there before! Running a race in Greensboro, when I got to mile 1, was under 6. I hollered an expletive and immediately started seeing stars and my hands and feet were tingling. Don’t recall anything else in the race…last 2 miles I pictured myself somewhere besides there. Need to learn patience in a number areas in my life. You might enjoy a site where I get a weekly email that is all about healthy living and exercise, etc. Drmirkin.com. He is a retired doctor living in the villages and well informed.
Good to hear Rick that someone else experienced that first mile of a burst of unwise energy. You are so right about that patience “thing” and thanks for the site on healthy living!
I can appreciate the excitement that comes with a surge of adrenaline that first mile!
Some additional thoughts:
Is there a universal “living well” concept? I think how one individual perceives what a full and happy life is could be quite different than another. For me, a high-quality life also means high-quality wine 🙂
I think the quality of life question is so important, especially in our American culture. The Italians and Spanish have it right in my mind: great food, incredible wine, plenty of rest and a lot less work…
I am always interested in hearing the many living well concepts. You are so right that each individual can and will perceive it their own custom way.
Each culture has their own thoughts and beliefs on what works. Thanks for your perspective Chelsea!
That is some impressive running sir. I don’t believe I’ve ever dipped below 6 mins. My metabolism has hit a brick wall so I feel ya on the discipline. The amount of caloric expenditure it takes to offset an aggressive appetite is very time consuming after 30. Unless you’re occupation is that physically demanding that you have to eat big or wither away, portion reductions will have to happen or you pay. I know this but there are a lot of times I just wanna eat! Ill pay the consequences. 80/20 rule…. Ive told myself about the high highs and low lows. It’s hard to be even keel when you’re a passionate person. Pacing and longevity is definitely virtuous and you have to be disciplined to do that.
Good stuff Sir! I agree with so much of what you said. Must be that we ride on the same golf cart together…. My favorite line is, “It’s hard to be even keel when you’re a passionate person.” So true for me, as I am not sure we are suppose to work on changing that one, maybe just smoothing the edges.
Good stuff my friend! Pacing ourselves for the long run has never come easy but hopefully as the years sneak by we have learned to try it more often than we did in our younger days. I too am impressed by your sub 20 time always viewing you as more of a power runner than sprinter. I will have to admit, however, that I did witness you pacing yourself when it came to your studies in college. 🙂
Well said Thiel Thunder, yes, I started working on pacing oneself in college, so glad you noticed!
I noticed that the list of 15 didn’t mention anything about ego! Nothing like a little competition to bring out that surge of adrenaline to avoid being last😁
I do believe it’s a family trait to go a bit overboard at the dinner table! I’ve told you many times that I learned to eat faster than you did so I’d be sure to get seconds!! Of course , that doesn’t give your body time to register that you’re full!!! When it comes to physical activity, this body is that of a night owl: it takes me over half the race to hit my stride! Then again, it’s been 15 years since I’ve done any running. I appreciated your list and hope it works; I’m pretty consistent with the first 13.😊
Thanks Cheryl, I do apologize for the many times I probably took your seconds. My stomach outpaced my manners. I enjoyed your comments.
Bob, I was never a runner. Competitive swimmer, yes. Not running. As for the 15 healthy habits of those people older than Octogenarians, I will pick #4: eat more vegetables!
It’s many vegetables that have gotten me to 69, almost 70 years of age. It’s the variety of plant food that stretches any mealtime to the “20 minutes to feeling full”. Funny how 20 minutes works for a 5K AND enjoying a good steak dinner. Maybe 20 is the Magic Number!
So, thanks for writing about your ‘Ode to Joy’. Keep the focus on the full list of 15. Try adding more vegetables to enhance your hot beef sandwich! Enjoy! Thanks for blogging!
Thanks Gigi! I am a huge supporter of eating vegetables! Wish I could grow them year round. I will also strive to include more of the 15.