In a previous post, I wrote about the tough transition I'm having now that my days of personal records at most distances are behind me. Because I'm not going to be setting new PRs, I've got a couple of things that will help me stay motivated while racing this season.
First of all, there's age-group placing at most races. I'll be able to look at where I placed in my age group, and compare that place to where I placed in my new age group. Though I won't be as fast, the others in my age group will be slowing down as well, so seeing my age-group places as compared to years past will help me see how I'm doing at maintaining my fitness as I get older.
The other thing that will help me is the age-grade calculator. This tool takes a time and an age and gives it a grade along with an equivalent time based on age. The age grade changes depending on the length of the race, so it won't give me an exact idea of my fitness compared to years past, but it will at least give me an idea. Here's a link to Runner's World calculator: Age Grade Calculator.
As I move closer to racing, I'm starting to feel better about the idea of racing as best as I can and still achieving slower times. I like to race, and even though my racing is not going to be as fast, running the best times I can for my age and fitness is starting to feel more motivating for me.
Run well.
No comments:
Post a Comment