Your effort is what matters most!
With cooler weather and tough conditions to train in, it’s extremely hard to be confident in your running every single day. Many people (myself included) rely on our GPS watches to help validate our times & paces. With that said, these numbers do not paint a full picture. A conversation I have with runners often is about the value of effort and how effort always wins at the end of the day. I have always been guilty of being someone who focuses on comparing myself to my past self when it comes to running and racing. I recognize this isn’t the healthiest mindset but my Garmin watch has made it easy for me to dial in on numbers that sometimes drive me over the edge. The numbers don’t always paint the real picture of the conditions you are running in and the terrain you train on. Over the last few years, I have really worked to adapt a new mindset when it comes to training and racing in the winter and summer months. My mindset has shifted from focusing too much on the numbers and now on emphasizing the value of effort and feeling. My coach Jason Holroyd has inspired me to not worry about the end result and just worry about showing up and giving great effort. He often suggests workouts to be run by effort or minutes opposed to specific paces for certain distances. That mentality helps me as an athlete focus strictly on putting my head down and grinding out the work without having the pressure of a specific time or distance goal. Don’t feel guilty if you are addicted to your watch or the data. You spent good money on it and it’s a valuable tool. But at the end of the day, your GPS watch does not run your miles for you. You are the one putting in the work and you should always remember no matter the conditions, effort will always prevail even if it’s not reflected by the time or distance you want to see on those tough days. Keep showing up for yourself because you will see the value come race day. Good luck!