The Race That Didn't Exist

Series: Same Practice. Everyone Sees Something Different. — Episode 03: The Adult Athlete

Three Kilometers to Go

He still had some running left to do.

He wasn't injured. He wasn't exhausted. It was just one of those evenings when running didn't seem particularly interested in him. And the feeling was mutual.

He checked his watch.

The minutes were ticking by. The distance was adding up. His pace was decent.

But the kilometers ahead felt longer than usual.

He knew the feeling. Some days you feel great and think you could keep going forever. Other days, every hundred meters seems determined to negotiate its own terms.

He kept running.

A few meters ahead stood a lamppost. Then another. And another.

An idea popped into his head.

Keep my pace to the first one. Speed up between the first and second. Get back to my original pace by the third.

It wasn't part of his training plan.

But it sounded interesting.

A Race with No Opponents

He reached the first lamppost and picked up speed.

Not a sprint. Just enough to feel the change.

The second lamppost was getting closer.

Ten more meters. Five.

Done.

He'd made it.

Now he had to settle back into his original pace before reaching the third.

That part didn't go quite as planned. His breathing had picked up, and his legs weren't exactly impressed with the new rules.

He reached the third lamppost still going a little faster than he'd intended.

He smiled.

It hadn't gone perfectly.

But for the first time in quite a while, he hadn't been thinking about how far he still had to run.

He'd only been thinking about the next lamppost.

He looked ahead. There were a few more.

He could have made up another challenge right there. Maybe hold a steady pace between two lampposts. Maybe try the same change of speed with a little more control.

He didn't need to try them all.

He settled back into his usual run.

The remaining kilometers were still there. Not one had magically disappeared.

But something had changed.

A few minutes earlier, he'd just wanted to finish.

Now he was interested in what he was doing again.

"And What Went Well for You Today?"

Later that evening, he met his two boys after their basketball practices.

The older one had his sports bag over his shoulder. The younger one, as usual, still had a few questions.

He already knew his dad had gone running alone.

But there was something more important he wanted to know.

— And what went well for you today?

His dad looked at his watch.

Distance, time, pace. Some numbers were better than on his previous run. Others weren't.

He could have told his son how far he'd run or how fast.

Instead, he remembered those three lampposts.

— I had a race.

— Were you in a competition?

— No. I made one up.

The boy looked interested.

— Against who?

— Some lampposts.

— Lampposts?!

— Yep. Not much for conversation, those guys.

The younger boy laughed.

— So, did you win?

— Up to the second lamppost, yes. The third one didn't go quite as planned.

— Then why did you do it?

His dad thought for a moment.

— I just thought it would be fun to try.

The boy seemed happy with that answer.

To him, making up a game in the middle of practice wasn't strange at all.

A Goal Close Enough to Reach

His little lamppost race hadn't made the rest of his run any shorter. And it didn't say much about how fast he'd be running a month from now.

But it had given him something the goal at the end of his route couldn't offer in that moment: one clear, immediate challenge.

The same thing can happen on a bike, in a swimming pool, or on a basketball court. When training starts to feel repetitive, a stretch of road, a single movement, or a change of pace you choose for yourself can bring back your interest in what you're doing.

As long as it fits the training session, the challenge doesn't have to be impressive or prove anything about your bigger goal.

Sometimes, all you need is to feel like reaching the next lamppost.

Beside the car, the younger boy was still smiling at the idea of racing lampposts.

— Next time, you could race four of them!

— We'll see. We only just met. Don't want to scare them off.

His dad unlocked the car. The younger boy climbed in first, followed by his older brother with his bag over his shoulder.

Their dad got behind the wheel.

The series continues with Episode 04 — The Parent.