{"id":14854,"date":"2013-05-07T08:00:48","date_gmt":"2013-05-07T08:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/?p=14854"},"modified":"2015-09-17T16:15:16","modified_gmt":"2015-09-17T16:15:16","slug":"9-reasons-to-make-races-part-of-your-own-over-50-year-old-exercise-routine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/funfitnessafter50.com\/9-reasons-to-make-races-part-of-your-own-over-50-year-old-exercise-routine\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Reasons to Make Races Part of Your Own Over 50 Year Old Exercise Routine"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"race<\/a>
race t-shirts have a special place in the closet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s true.<\/strong> \u00a0You can just exercise without paying for races. \u00a0And let’s face it – who ever heard of a water aerobics show down or yoga contest? \u00a0Besides that, the chance of me, a 52 year old woman, challenging for the top standings is remote to ludicrous. \u00a0So, why enter running races and triathlons (2012 Emmett Triathlon report)<\/a> at my age?<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Motivation<\/span> is the most obvious reason. \u00a0It helps me to be consistent about exercising and stay with the schedule as best I can.<\/li>\n
  2. Having a goal or deadline stimulates efficiency of training<\/span>. \u00a0Efficient training is more rewarding.<\/li>\n
  3. Camaraderie. <\/span>\u00a0When training with others beforehand, there is a higher level of interaction when there are races goals involved. At the race events, there is a unique connection with complete strangers.<\/li>\n
  4. There is excitement in finding out what I am capable of<\/span>.<\/span><\/span> \u00a0With the right balance of effort, rest, and perspective, I have discovered I am not as old and worn as I might be if I “just acted my age.” (My husband encouraged me to see how fast I could run the 2012 Main Street Mile)<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Being in a race typically helps me discover new depths of reserve \u00a0and strength<\/span><\/span>. \u00a0It is hard to get the same thing from a non-race workout. \u00a0Finding this out opens up new possibilities in mental and physical efforts for other aspects of my life, too. (The Shamrock Shuffle in March 2013 had unique challenges)<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Races add a little zing to the routine<\/span>.<\/span> \u00a0Much like going out to dance is another kind of fun than dancing in the kitchen, there is something about the festive atmosphere of a race.<\/li>\n
  7. The ebb and flow of races helps me to avoid over training<\/span> because of the tapering before a race and the resting afterward. \u00a0This is more effective resting than what happens when I am just sporadic or less efficient with my training.<\/li>\n
  8. Preparing for races makes me think more about and get better at how to handle my hydration and energy needs<\/span> while exercising. \u00a0Whereas I might muddle through if it was just an unspecified series of workouts, the desire to maximize my race experience results in overall better decisions about these things. (I surprised myself … and the man behind me … when I ran the 2012 High Desert Trail Run)<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. Last, but not least, I often have a more flexible schedule at this time of my life<\/span>. \u00a0I’m having fun being able to do things now that were not a priority when I was enjoying raising our children.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"the<\/a>
    the coldest I’ve ever been for a race was this year between Christmas and New Year’s with Final Kick Event’s Hot Chocolate Run<\/a>, but it was very fun in many ways<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Some people<\/strong> begrudge the cost of entering a race. \u00a0They might pay for a fancy coffee regularly, to get their nails done, or go to the movies, but somehow a fee for a race is scoffed at. \u00a0It is all just choices in having fun. \u00a0Even if races are avoided, it is likely that money is being spent to help make running\/biking\/swimming comfortable and enjoyable. \u00a0Pretending that running (in particular) or any exercise is somehow outside the sphere of economics is, well, pretending.<\/p>\n

    So, I wear\u00a0<\/strong>my race shirts proudly. \u00a0Each represents a personal accomplishment and fond memories. \u00a0I may need to alter some of them to be more fashionable or to blend with outfits, but wear them I will. They are both my trophies and my reminders of what I have to look forward to with my next race!<\/p>\n

    \"a<\/a>
    a colorful bouquet of race shirts from the last 3 years<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    It’s true. \u00a0You can just exercise without paying for races. \u00a0And let’s face it – who ever heard of a water aerobics show down or yoga contest? \u00a0Besides that, the chance of me, a 52 year old woman, challenging for the top standings is remote to ludicrous. \u00a0So, why enter running races and triathlons (2012 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3,4],"tags":[70],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/funfitnessafter50.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14854"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/funfitnessafter50.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/funfitnessafter50.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/funfitnessafter50.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/funfitnessafter50.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/funfitnessafter50.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14854\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/funfitnessafter50.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/funfitnessafter50.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/funfitnessafter50.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}