I’ve been consistently running since 2022, with 2-4 runs per week. I generally aim to run a race every month. (I usually don’t run a race in January, June and December because of travel, holidays and report cards.) This many races is easy in São Paulo, where there are races nearly every weekend. I’m often in crowds of 3,000-5,000 people. It’s intense and fun. I run races in the summers in the US when I can, and those tend to be much smaller, small town runs. I keep my medals and bibs on this thing on my wall:
It’s getting quite full! I might need to start fresh when we move and transfer these medals and bibs to something in our house in Minnesota.
According to Strava, I’ve run 430.9 km so far in 2024. It tells me that is 16% higher than last year when I ran 370.7 km. Timewise, in 2024 I ran for 57 hours and 34 minutes over 119 runs. 119 runs is 21% higher than last year, when I did 98.
Where am I right now as a runner?
I’m running mostly in the afternoons or evenings on school days, and morning or early afternoon on the weekends. I’m pretty flexible and I think that’s a key to my runs. I will squeeze in runs at just about any time. I’m still not a get up and run early kind of person. I’m lucky to live in a condominium with a relatively flat section of road that I can run on, even at 9 pm. I have a rain jacket that I got last year, and that really helps for days when the weather isn’t great. I am trying to minimize barriers to running as much as possible.
I’m running with a Garmin Vivoactive 5 watch right now coupled with a Garmin heart rate monitor I bought last summer. Did I really need a heart rate monitor? No. But do I like graphs and data? Yes.
I’m still running in Brooks Ghost 15 shoes. I go through 2-3 pairs a year. I can feel the mile increase of 2024, because I used to get 6 months out of my running shoes, and it’s more like 4 months now.
I’m listening to a lot of the Ezra Klein podcast when I run. But I am mixing in some music as well. I used to have a running playlist that I listened to every single time. Now, I’m using those premade Spotify lists that are tailored to me. I’m enjoying poppy ladies right now: Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter. I sometimes pick something that is more mood based, and I am often picking chill folk rock Americana–Noah Kahan, Avett Brothers, Caamp.
Goal-wise, I spent 2023 and part of 2024 really trying to improve my speed. I’ve backed off from that goal over the course of 2024. For one, I wasn’t making much progress, and I started to feel kind of bummed when I ran and my pace wasn’t getting better. I knew that was going to make me quit, and that defeats the purpose.
I know my medal holder says “World’s Okayest Runner,” but if I’m being honest, I wanted to be slightly better. Either that isn’t really possible for me, or I am not training right for that goal.
Yes, I could train differently. The problem is that most days when I run, it’s a win that I’m even out there. I don’t have the mental or physical energy to do hill sprints or intervals. I also hate hill sprints and intervals. Again, anything that makes me want to quit running is defeating my ultimate purpose.
David gets on my case about growth mindset when I say I can’t run any faster. This from the mouth of someone who runs 5 minute kilometers naturally. I am not built that way. Again, maybe that’s defeatist, but if I don’t believe that I am somewhat at my natural plateau, then I just beat myself up for bad training and drain the joy and fun out of it? How is that better?
So, what is my purpose in running? I guess it’s worth stating that I am running to be healthy and die less soon. Sorry to be dark like that, but that’s the truth. I’d like to have strength and mobility for longer and I’d like to live longer. And if that’s my goal, who cares that I’m slow? I am working on caring less. I’m working on pursuing health and joy and not constant optimization.
I also struggle to train hard for speed. I spend a lot of my day in service of others. My kids, my students. My day is controlled by the schedule of the school day, the curriculum, the needs of my students. Many times in the day I am explicitly bossed around. Sometimes I need to flex some personal choice in my day. Often, that person choice is picking my running speed. If I feel like my running app is bossing me around, I will probably quit.
With all that in mind, my current training planning is what I am calling a weekly ladder. On Sunday, I run for 20 minutes. My next run of the week, often Tuesday, is 30 minutes. My next run, often Thursday, is 40 minutes. Theoretically my Sunday run is 50 minutes. I have yet to make that happen. I often only get 3 runs in a week or I am on a time crunch. I am focusing on time rather than speed or distance. I occasionally run a 5K and stop there, but more often, I’m running for time, and I run the pace I feel like I can sustain in that moment.
Next year I want to push to 50 minutes once a week so that a 10K is within reach. I was researching races in Jordan, and some seemed to be 10K as the shortest distance, and increasing from there. Maybe in 2025, my goal will be finding my best 10K time plateau.
I don’t intend to stop running. I’m serious when I say I will run until I die or I can’t carry my body on my feet any more. My hope is that I maintain this speed and all the good runners just slow down to my pace and in my 60s, 70s, 80s I will get on the podium. Ha! We’ll see if that goal is realistic. I’m assuming that I too will slow down.
Running is still the easiest way I can get my heart rate way up. It only requires the right shoes (and sports bra) and a place to run. I can do it when I travel. And I like the races. I like the thrill and the challenge, even though I’m not winning anything.
Where am I going from here? I’m excited to find my running routine in Jordan. I heard from at least one current faculty member that running in the streets is very safe in Amman. I won’t be in a condominium, so I’ll have to map out routes. I can also do more running on a treadmill at school, if they have them. I’m excited by the prospect of a race through Petra or Wadi Rum. It looks like there will be less race options (no more mega city for me) so I might seek out a few more races in the summers in the US.
Overall, despite my speed staying pretty level, I’ve increased my number of runs and distance over time. I am proud of that, and I’m excited to see what I do in 2025!
I wanted to share some info and pictures from my races this year. Let’s start with my first race of 2024:
Athenas Run Faster
- March 17, 2024
- Distance: 5.02K
- 35:14 total time
- Pace: 7:01/km
7 Run
- April 28, 2024
- Distance: 7.08 K
- Total time: 48:35
- 7k time: 48:08
- Pace 6:52/km
This is my best time for a 7K race. Felt good!
JK Iguatemi I
- May 19, 2024
- Total distance: 5.07 K
- 33:24 total time
- 5K time: 32:57
- Pace: 6:35/km
When I ran this, this was my second fastest 5K time.
Run For Beer: MN Brewery Series, Chapel Brewing
- July 14, 2024
- Total distance: 5.08 K
- Time: 37:28
- Pace: 7:22/km
This one was fun because it was one town over at our favorite micro-brewery. And this one I did with David and my sister-in-law Amanda. It was very chill, no timing devices, and you got a free beer at the end. It was super hot that day.
Run the Bridge
- September 1, 2024
- 5K
- Time: 32:25 — personal record!
- Pace 6:29/km
This is maybe my favorite São Paulo race. You start on the famous Ponte Estaiada and end on it as well. This means the final 500m are a really steep climb. The pictures are also great!
Athenas Run Longer
- October 20, 2024
- Total distance: 7.13
- Total time: 49:40
- 7K time: 48:54
- Pace 6:58/km
It was a rainy race! Glad for my running rain jacket. This wasn’t my fastest 7K, but I was still happy to be under 49 minutes for my 7K time. I didn’t buy any professional pics for this one. It’s starting to feel a little silly, so I just have my own pics here.
Villalobos III
- November 17, 2024
- Total distance: 5:08 K
- Total time: 34:24
- 5K time: 33:49
- Pace: 6:46/km
Ending the year on a decent pace. Villalobos is a great race because rather being on the major highway through the city called the Marginal, you are running on leafy residential streets. The trade off is that the road is narrower and a little more crowded. Still, a nice end to my 2024 racing calendar.