January 1, 2025 • 21 mins
What if pursuing your running goals could coexist seamlessly with the simple joy of the run itself? Join me, Bridget, as I share my journey of balancing the thrill of chasing a sub-two-hour half marathon with the pure pleasure of following a unique "dogs per mile" approach. I unpack the internal tug-of-war between staying goal-oriented and embracing the joyful moments that make each run special, all while striving to find a harmonious middle ground. Through personal anecdotes and reflections, I invite you to explore how acknowledging this balance can enrich your running experience, whether you're aiming for a personal best or simply savoring the scenery.
We also shine a light on the challenges runners often face, from societal pressures to fit within a specific brand identity to the often idealized portrayals of running on social media. By discussing these topics, I emphasize the importance of authenticity and staying true to oneself. Together, we navigate the complexity of the running journey, celebrating the freedom to be both a serious competitor and a fun-loving runner. So, whether you're counting your pace or counting dogs, this episode encourages you to embrace all facets of your running adventure.
Takeaways
- It's important to find a balance between joy and performance in running.
- Having performance goals doesn't negate the joy of running.
- Authenticity in sharing running experiences is crucial.
- Runners can be both serious and fun at the same time.
- It's okay to not have everything figured out in your running journey.
- The running community is diverse and complex.
- Finding joy in challenging runs can enhance the experience.
- Sharing goals can help create a supportive community.
- It's normal for runners to wobble between different goals and joys.
- Embracing both aspects of running can lead to a more fulfilling experience.
HIGH FIVES, RUNNER! 🙌
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Until our next run together, remember: every step forward is progress, and every dog you see is bonus motivation. Keep running, keep smiling, and keep counting those dogs!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Bridget (00:08):
Hey runners, welcome to the Dogs Per Mile podcast, your
weekly dose of running reality.
Here we count dogs instead ofminutes and turn running stats
upside down.
I'm Bridget, your host,certified running coach and
creator of the Dogs per milemindset.
Here's the thing 13 years ago,I started my running journey,
like many of you, watching thestats on my garment and getting
(00:30):
discouraged when they didn'tmatch what they should be saying
.
That's when I discovered themagic of counting dogs in my run
, because sometimes the bestrunning stat isn't your pace or
distance.
Now, with over 50 halfmarathons, two marathons and
countless training runs under mybelt, I'm here to share a
different approach to running,one that breaks down mental
barriers, eases those pre-runanxieties and yes, includes a
(00:53):
weekly update of my personaldogs per mile count.
Whether you're lacing up forthe first time, getting back
into running after a break,struggling your training with
group fitness classes or chasingyour next PR, you've found your
people.
This is where we take thepressure off and put the joy
back in running, because everyrunner has a place here and
(01:21):
every dog site is worthcelebrating.
Hey runners, welcome back tothe Dogs Per Mile podcast.
I'm your host, bridget.
Thank you again for joining metoday.
So today I kind of need to havean honest conversation with you
about something that's beenkind of weighing on my mind and
something I think everyone canrelate to as a runner or
starting out.
When I started this podcast, Iknew that it was about breaking
(01:43):
free from the pressures of paceand finding the joy in running.
But at the same time, lately, Ihave been wrestling with
something internally that seemsto contradict that the fact that
I want to run faster, I want toimprove my speed, I want to run
another sub two hour halfmarathon, and part of me kind of
(02:04):
feel like a fraud to talk abouta goal that has a pace attached
with it, a number attached withit, because by somehow having
this goal time, this idea thatit makes me a bad dog per mile,
you know, ambassador, dog permile, ambassador, dog per mile,
(02:24):
mindset creator.
But it's kind of about timethat we talk about that middle
part, that kind of messy, stickymiddle area where joy and
performance goals can coexist atthe same time, even if they're
not done perfectly to a T, evenif everything seems to not mesh
(02:46):
together, because I always wantto be very real and authentic on
this podcast and I don't havethe answer.
So if you're looking for aperfectly created guide on how
to mix these two together, it'snot here.
I don't have it.
I'm just being real and I amfiguring out this right
(03:09):
alongside of you.
And this conversation, I think,matters the most now as, moving
into spring training, that'swhen I typically like to train
for spring races.
I enjoy training in the winter.
It's much easier for me andmuch more enjoyable, and so I
(03:29):
really want to be able to talkabout this goal and share it and
be excited, without feelinglike I am talking about how fast
I'm running or the paces oranything like that.
And so I think thisconversation really matters, and
so I hope you will humor me andlisten to this kind of
(03:52):
conversation about finding somesort of balance between joy and
performance, knowing you'retrying to correct your form
while running, running and thensometimes you kind of over
correct, you start to focus like, okay, I need to focus on
engaging my glutes while I'mrunning, and so then you're
(04:14):
focusing on that and thensuddenly your butt is like
tucked under and you're runningall crazy.
Or you're focusing on relaxingyour shoulders and suddenly you
have your little arms up andyou're crawling like a T-Rex,
because you've so focused onsomething else you almost swing
in the opposite direction.
So it kind of is like apendulum swing, and that's
(04:36):
what's happened to myrelationship with my running
goals.
I think I have swung from beingvery goal-oriented to swinging
very, very far that every runmust be joyful.
Everyone must be about dogs permile, and I think I lost that
other part of myself along theway.
(04:56):
And I really want to talk aboutfinding the middle ground,
because it's not about choosingbetween having joy on runs or
having goals.
It's about how those two canexist within you and work
together to keep your love ofrunning Previously I've talked
(05:16):
about before.
Last year I was trying to shootagain for another sub two hour
half, again for another sub twohour half.
The last time I did that wasback in 19 when I did a sub two
hour half at the Salve Island4th of July race, and so I had
been working and using.
I had used my Garmin trainingapp because it's one of my
(05:36):
favorites.
It's very easy.
The Romans just come up on yourwatch and just I was.
I had a goal set of a sub twohour half.
I was following the plan.
I was doing the paces at theright time and I had a
strategically planned timelineout to shoot for a certain time
and then chip away andeventually get to the sub two
hour half.
(05:57):
And I, by all logic, I hadeverything dialed in and then it
just didn't happen.
And so I think from that I justwas so frustrated that it
seemed that I checked all theboxes, I did all the steps, I
did everything and I didn't meetmy goal.
So I think I swung in the otherdirection to find more joy,
(06:22):
because a little bit of my joywas taken away when I crossed
the finish line and didn't getthis up too, which I'm still
proud of that performance,because I didn't give in, I
didn't cry, I got over thefinish line and I was still much
happier than my husband thoughtI was going to be.
So I want to find that balancewhere I'm allowed to have runs
(06:43):
that are fun, I'm allowed toencourage others and wave and
maybe wear a fun costume ormaybe go run with Christmas
lights on, but at the same timeI also want to run some runs
where I know I have to run themile repeats, at eight minute
miles, for example and be okaywith balancing that.
(07:05):
And so I think I need to swingthat back towards the middle,
because both matter.
In order to meet your goal, youhave to have very scientific
driven running plans.
You have to hit certain paces,be able to run a certain amount
of time at a certain pace tomeet a goal.
That is the way it works.
But at the same time, the onlything that's going to keep you
(07:27):
going is having fun or findingsome sort of joy.
In some of the moments it maynot be all the moments when
you're in a training cyclethat's aggressive or has a goal
in mind, but they both do matterin order to have success.
Because finding the joy metricsis what's going to keep you
(07:48):
going when the pace metrics arenot working or your heart rate's
not working or you get injuredand somebody goes out the window
or helps you build thatresilience in your mind.
So those both elements do needto exist, but we also need to
swing it back towards kind ofthe middle ground of this.
So I want to tell you kind of arun I had this past week.
(08:11):
That kind of is what really isthe catalyst for this
conversation and what reallymakes me want to talk about this
.
So I set out this last week.
I've been just usually doingjust whatever base pace run my
watch has told me so 40 minutes,30 minutes, adding an odd
whatever, keeping the heart ratein the easy zone.
(08:31):
So this run I set out to dosome intervals and I really
wanted to do one of the programruns that I have that I've
created, which was warming uptwo minutes hard, two minutes
recovery, and you kind of repeatthat eight times and then you
cool down and usually this hasme looking at my watch, waiting
for those two minutes to end ormaking sure that I am in that,
(08:53):
making sure that I'm in thatpace, and instead of focusing
and having it be pace-related, Iturned that part off.
I recreated the run and so thatway it was just the timer and
was based on effort, becauseonce I stepped outside and
realized how windy it was, Iknew that it was not going to do
me any good to try and hitcertain paces, try and hit 730s
(09:15):
for two minutes.
This was not going to work forme and as I'm doing the warmup,
it starts to snow.
It's not snowing heavy, it'snot crazy, but instead of being
upset that that snow was goingto impact my ability to do my
splits and do what I normally do, which is give up and just keep
(09:36):
running at an easy pace.
I decided that I didn't want todo that, that I wanted to feel
like a badass.
I wanted cars to drive by andin my head I wanted them to say,
look at that fucking girl outthere crushing her run in the
snow.
That was my motivation, was theimagination the created in my
(09:58):
mind experience of other peopledriving by and being inspired or
being surprised that someonewas out running in this crazy
weather and that it was cold.
And it was me that I do lovegetting a really hard run in and
feeling excited and motivatedthat I got that victory.
(10:27):
So obviously I saw no dogs, soI couldn't do my normal.
Here's a way to find joy, andit's also really hard in those
runs where you're running for ashort period of time to find
those smaller amounts of joy.
And for once, for the firsttime in a long time, I was
(10:49):
celebrating a little victorythat I did a hard run, I didn't
give up, I didn't pause my watchevery time it got hard and kind
of cheat my watch and say, ohlook, I ran all these at this
pace, but I really didn't, andso I started to.
I felt the joy in the challengeversus the joy in just seeing
something silly.
But that also brought back outthat pendulum.
I'm like I can't post aboutthis run or I can post about it,
(11:12):
but I have to.
I have to kind of translate ita little bit because it doesn't
fit with my, my brand oranything like that.
This turned into a differenttype of running victory and
using that as the catalyst tosay I can do more, and I really
I enjoyed that because itbrought me back to the why I
(11:37):
started running or what I lovedabout it was.
I loved the training process, Iloved the different types of
runs you would do and theirpurpose, and I hadn't had that
in so long that I forgot whatthat was like, because I haven't
trained for a race since thatMay 1.
And so, having not goingthrough a 12-week plan where
(11:57):
something is telling me thatthis is the run I need to do, it
was something that I forgot howmuch I enjoyed and forgot how
much I missed.
But I also kind of want to likelet's get honest for just a
little moment.
I mean, we're already honest,but let's get a little bit more.
So you know those Instagramrunning accounts or the TikTok
accounts where everything looksperfect and magical the whole
(12:21):
time, and I know, since kind ofdiving into creating this
podcast and trying to createthis sort of brand that's around
happiness and joy and findingyour dogs per mile and every
pace is accepted, which are allvery true but I've also been
feeling that pressure to make myruns look the same and look
(12:45):
like they're delightfuladventures where we're just
going through the neighborhoodand look at these cute dogs and
everything was wonderful.
But it's just not real life.
Even the runs where it was apaced run the whole time is not
easy.
Sometimes they're hard andsometimes the runs are about
(13:06):
pushing past the limits that younormally have, and so I'm kind
of learning that maybe part ofthe dogs per mile mindset is not
just about avoiding thosemoments, it's about finding our
own way to embrace them, becauseI'm currently it's a struggle
to A want to take pictures ofmyself where I'm struggling, and
(13:30):
so you're taking them after therun or before the run, when
you're not tired, and so itgives this false sense, or that
it just feeds more into thatperfect social media concept,
and I want to, as I'm creatingthis, find a balance between
what my brand is and what myvalues are with this, with Dogs
(13:52):
Per Mile, but at the same time,I need to stay authentic to
myself and the type of runnerthat I am.
Stay authentic to myself andthe type of runner that I am.
Runners are complex.
I don't know one that's not.
No runner falls into onespecific type.
You may be a trail runner, butyou may also be a trail runner
(14:14):
that loves speed and wants toqualify for Boston and wants to
do these sort of things, or youcan be a trail runner that wants
to run them slow and enjoys thesnack part about them, and just
there's just so much diversityin the running community, not
just from types of runners andbody types, and so I want to be
(14:38):
authentic to the runner that Iam and allow that to come
through the complex nature ofwhy I run and why that changes,
and so I'm working to find thebalance and trying to find the
best way to enjoy running whilealso not being afraid to want to
get faster can be.
(15:00):
It feels to me just taboo,based on the brand I've created,
and how am I supposed to be saythat I'm an expert in this
field of finding fun and running.
If I also want to.
I'm also telling you to notworry about your pace and turn
your watch away, but at the sametime, I'm shooting for a race
(15:20):
where I have to run a nineminute and 10 second mile for
13.1 miles.
How do I exist in that world?
And so I'm giving myself andgiving you permission I'm really
good about.
I really am passionate aboutpeople getting permission to run
the way they want, and so I'mgiving myself permission to
(15:42):
share all aspects of running,including pace, including trying
to meet that goal, because Iwould love to meet that goal and
then, at the end, still behappy, still have had a fun race
, where I look at the picturesand I look excited and joy, not
because it's easy, but because Iam having fun, and I think
that's the big thing is that itdoesn't have to be easy, but it
(16:04):
has to be fun.
Here's what I'm starting tofigure out, and I really want to
.
You know, emphasize the wordI'm starting, because it's
definitely a work in progress,because the magic isn't about
choosing to be a seriousInstagram fluencer runner or a
fun runner.
Maybe it's more about creatingspace within myself to do both.
(16:26):
So some days the dog per milecount is going to be through the
roof because I've chose to goaround Loose Park.
I change the time of my daybecause I just want to see that
and I'm more doing a loiter runthan having any sort of agenda.
But then I also want the otherdays.
That means that I see nothingexciting on my run because I am
(16:50):
running at a crazy hour, becauseI'm running on crazy weather or
because I'm running just tomake myself feel strong, and I
think that's just how it'ssupposed to be, that it's
supposed to be a both andapproach.
I'm supposed to be both aserious and a fun runner.
You can be both at the sametime and blend them together and
be okay with some runs justbeing about your goal and
(17:15):
creating the space in myself totalk about the numbers, even
though I think that they can betaboo and they can.
Talking about paces can be avery hard thing for some people
because if you say I ran an easyrun and they look at your pace
and it's a nine minute mile anda nine minute is a sprint for
(17:36):
you, it can be discouraging,even if it's just that you're
trying to have a sort of diaryof what your goal was or your
run was.
So I want to create that sortof space and then build your
community.
I want to build a communityaround finding the balance
between being a serious runnerand being a fun runner, because
(17:56):
I think these can both exist.
It's just about finding peoplewho support both and who are
okay with that shifting back andforth and that pendulum
swinging to if you have a rungroup or if you have a run
friend.
Some days you're going to shiftthat pendulum to.
This run is about my goal and Ineed to run these intervals and
(18:18):
then the other ones are moremore relaxed.
So thank you, thank you againfor listening, as, as I wrap up
this episode, I just want to besuper duper clear that I don't
have this all figured out.
So that's the most importanttakeaway is that I don't have a
guide.
I don't have three tips to helpyou balance these two things,
(18:40):
because I'm still figuring itout inside of myself and we're
all works in progress.
You're allowed to be amasterpiece and a work in
progress at the same time.
We're trying to find our waysand our running journey and the
seasons that we're in, andsometimes we'll get that balance
down to a T and we'll have itand it'll feel comfortable
(19:02):
inside of us.
Other days we'll kind of wobblebetween the two and it's not
just.
That's not just okay.
That's exactly where we shouldbe.
So I invite you to share yourgoals.
I'm going to share my goalswhen I sign up for my next race.
I'm excited to feel the passionin running that I enjoyed so
(19:26):
much so long ago and kind of getmy pendulum to be feel more
centered so I can feel moreauthentically like myself and
come out across like that.
Because I want to give you guystips that are that I've done
before.
So I'm gonna keep doing updatesand episodes on this how I'm
able to find the balance, thingsthat have worked for me as I
(19:47):
try them, things that went toshit, and please don't do that,
and I really hope you followalong on this journey.
But before you head out on yournext run regardless of if it is
a badass speed run or a easychit chat, gossip session with
your running buddy I want tohear your thoughts on this.
(20:09):
I want to hear how you balancejoy with having goals.
I know I have a lot of runnerfriends who are looking to
qualify for races and I'd loveto know how you balance these
two.
So please, you know, shoot me aDM, tag me in Instagram or
TikTok, because I'm stillfiguring this out, but I would
love if we could figure this outtogether.
(20:30):
Thank you again so much.
I hope you appreciate thisepisode and I will see you in
the next one.
Keep running and keep countingthose dogs.
Thanks for sharing another milewith me today.
Before you cool down, here arethree quick ways to stay
(20:53):
connected with our runningcommunity.
First, hit subscribe whereveryou're listening to this right
now.
It's the best way to make sureyou never miss an episode.
Second, if today's show helpedyou or inspired you, please
leave a review.
Your words help other runnersfind their way to our community.
Lastly, want more runningadventures?
Follow at Dogs Per Mile Pod onInstagram, where I share daily
(21:13):
motivation, behind the scenesmoments and plenty of pictures
of my two running coaches, yogiand Maple.
Be sure to tag me in your runphotos and use hashtag Dogs Per
Mile to share your own dogspotting stats.
I love celebrating yourvictories, big and small, and
thank you for being a part ofthis journey.
Until our next run together,remember, every step forward is
progress and every dog you seeis bonus motivation.
(21:35):
Keep running, keep smiling andkeep counting those dogs.
Hey runners, welcome to the Dogs Per Mile podcast, your
weekly dose of running reality.
Here we count dogs instead ofminutes and turn running stats
upside down.
I'm Bridget, your host,certified running coach and
creator of the Dogs per milemindset.
Here's the thing 13 years ago,I started my running journey,
like many of you, watching thestats on my garment and getting
(00:30):
discouraged when they didn'tmatch what they should be saying
.
That's when I discovered themagic of counting dogs in my run
, because sometimes the bestrunning stat isn't your pace or
distance.
Now, with over 50 halfmarathons, two marathons and
countless training runs under mybelt, I'm here to share a
different approach to running,one that breaks down mental
barriers, eases those pre-runanxieties and yes, includes a
(00:53):
weekly update of my personaldogs per mile count.
Whether you're lacing up forthe first time, getting back
into running after a break,struggling your training with
group fitness classes or chasingyour next PR, you've found your
people.
This is where we take thepressure off and put the joy
back in running, because everyrunner has a place here and
(01:21):
every dog site is worthcelebrating.
Hey runners, welcome back tothe Dogs Per Mile podcast.
I'm your host, bridget.
Thank you again for joining metoday.
So today I kind of need to havean honest conversation with you
about something that's beenkind of weighing on my mind and
something I think everyone canrelate to as a runner or
starting out.
When I started this podcast, Iknew that it was about breaking
(01:43):
free from the pressures of paceand finding the joy in running.
But at the same time, lately, Ihave been wrestling with
something internally that seemsto contradict that the fact that
I want to run faster, I want toimprove my speed, I want to run
another sub two hour halfmarathon, and part of me kind of
(02:04):
feel like a fraud to talk abouta goal that has a pace attached
with it, a number attached withit, because by somehow having
this goal time, this idea thatit makes me a bad dog per mile,
you know, ambassador, dog permile, ambassador, dog per mile,
(02:24):
mindset creator.
But it's kind of about timethat we talk about that middle
part, that kind of messy, stickymiddle area where joy and
performance goals can coexist atthe same time, even if they're
not done perfectly to a T, evenif everything seems to not mesh
(02:46):
together, because I always wantto be very real and authentic on
this podcast and I don't havethe answer.
So if you're looking for aperfectly created guide on how
to mix these two together, it'snot here.
I don't have it.
I'm just being real and I amfiguring out this right
(03:09):
alongside of you.
And this conversation, I think,matters the most now as, moving
into spring training, that'swhen I typically like to train
for spring races.
I enjoy training in the winter.
It's much easier for me andmuch more enjoyable, and so I
(03:29):
really want to be able to talkabout this goal and share it and
be excited, without feelinglike I am talking about how fast
I'm running or the paces oranything like that.
And so I think thisconversation really matters, and
so I hope you will humor me andlisten to this kind of
(03:52):
conversation about finding somesort of balance between joy and
performance, knowing you'retrying to correct your form
while running, running and thensometimes you kind of over
correct, you start to focus like, okay, I need to focus on
engaging my glutes while I'mrunning, and so then you're
(04:14):
focusing on that and thensuddenly your butt is like
tucked under and you're runningall crazy.
Or you're focusing on relaxingyour shoulders and suddenly you
have your little arms up andyou're crawling like a T-Rex,
because you've so focused onsomething else you almost swing
in the opposite direction.
So it kind of is like apendulum swing, and that's
(04:36):
what's happened to myrelationship with my running
goals.
I think I have swung from beingvery goal-oriented to swinging
very, very far that every runmust be joyful.
Everyone must be about dogs permile, and I think I lost that
other part of myself along theway.
(04:56):
And I really want to talk aboutfinding the middle ground,
because it's not about choosingbetween having joy on runs or
having goals.
It's about how those two canexist within you and work
together to keep your love ofrunning Previously I've talked
(05:16):
about before.
Last year I was trying to shootagain for another sub two hour
half, again for another sub twohour half.
The last time I did that wasback in 19 when I did a sub two
hour half at the Salve Island4th of July race, and so I had
been working and using.
I had used my Garmin trainingapp because it's one of my
(05:36):
favorites.
It's very easy.
The Romans just come up on yourwatch and just I was.
I had a goal set of a sub twohour half.
I was following the plan.
I was doing the paces at theright time and I had a
strategically planned timelineout to shoot for a certain time
and then chip away andeventually get to the sub two
hour half.
(05:57):
And I, by all logic, I hadeverything dialed in and then it
just didn't happen.
And so I think from that I justwas so frustrated that it
seemed that I checked all theboxes, I did all the steps, I
did everything and I didn't meetmy goal.
So I think I swung in the otherdirection to find more joy,
(06:22):
because a little bit of my joywas taken away when I crossed
the finish line and didn't getthis up too, which I'm still
proud of that performance,because I didn't give in, I
didn't cry, I got over thefinish line and I was still much
happier than my husband thoughtI was going to be.
So I want to find that balancewhere I'm allowed to have runs
(06:43):
that are fun, I'm allowed toencourage others and wave and
maybe wear a fun costume ormaybe go run with Christmas
lights on, but at the same timeI also want to run some runs
where I know I have to run themile repeats, at eight minute
miles, for example and be okaywith balancing that.
(07:05):
And so I think I need to swingthat back towards the middle,
because both matter.
In order to meet your goal, youhave to have very scientific
driven running plans.
You have to hit certain paces,be able to run a certain amount
of time at a certain pace tomeet a goal.
That is the way it works.
But at the same time, the onlything that's going to keep you
(07:27):
going is having fun or findingsome sort of joy.
In some of the moments it maynot be all the moments when
you're in a training cyclethat's aggressive or has a goal
in mind, but they both do matterin order to have success.
Because finding the joy metricsis what's going to keep you
(07:48):
going when the pace metrics arenot working or your heart rate's
not working or you get injuredand somebody goes out the window
or helps you build thatresilience in your mind.
So those both elements do needto exist, but we also need to
swing it back towards kind ofthe middle ground of this.
So I want to tell you kind of arun I had this past week.
(08:11):
That kind of is what really isthe catalyst for this
conversation and what reallymakes me want to talk about this
.
So I set out this last week.
I've been just usually doingjust whatever base pace run my
watch has told me so 40 minutes,30 minutes, adding an odd
whatever, keeping the heart ratein the easy zone.
(08:31):
So this run I set out to dosome intervals and I really
wanted to do one of the programruns that I have that I've
created, which was warming uptwo minutes hard, two minutes
recovery, and you kind of repeatthat eight times and then you
cool down and usually this hasme looking at my watch, waiting
for those two minutes to end ormaking sure that I am in that,
(08:53):
making sure that I'm in thatpace, and instead of focusing
and having it be pace-related, Iturned that part off.
I recreated the run and so thatway it was just the timer and
was based on effort, becauseonce I stepped outside and
realized how windy it was, Iknew that it was not going to do
me any good to try and hitcertain paces, try and hit 730s
(09:15):
for two minutes.
This was not going to work forme and as I'm doing the warmup,
it starts to snow.
It's not snowing heavy, it'snot crazy, but instead of being
upset that that snow was goingto impact my ability to do my
splits and do what I normally do, which is give up and just keep
(09:36):
running at an easy pace.
I decided that I didn't want todo that, that I wanted to feel
like a badass.
I wanted cars to drive by andin my head I wanted them to say,
look at that fucking girl outthere crushing her run in the
snow.
That was my motivation, was theimagination the created in my
(09:58):
mind experience of other peopledriving by and being inspired or
being surprised that someonewas out running in this crazy
weather and that it was cold.
And it was me that I do lovegetting a really hard run in and
feeling excited and motivatedthat I got that victory.
(10:27):
So obviously I saw no dogs, soI couldn't do my normal.
Here's a way to find joy, andit's also really hard in those
runs where you're running for ashort period of time to find
those smaller amounts of joy.
And for once, for the firsttime in a long time, I was
(10:49):
celebrating a little victorythat I did a hard run, I didn't
give up, I didn't pause my watchevery time it got hard and kind
of cheat my watch and say, ohlook, I ran all these at this
pace, but I really didn't, andso I started to.
I felt the joy in the challengeversus the joy in just seeing
something silly.
But that also brought back outthat pendulum.
I'm like I can't post aboutthis run or I can post about it,
(11:12):
but I have to.
I have to kind of translate ita little bit because it doesn't
fit with my, my brand oranything like that.
This turned into a differenttype of running victory and
using that as the catalyst tosay I can do more, and I really
I enjoyed that because itbrought me back to the why I
(11:37):
started running or what I lovedabout it was.
I loved the training process, Iloved the different types of
runs you would do and theirpurpose, and I hadn't had that
in so long that I forgot whatthat was like, because I haven't
trained for a race since thatMay 1.
And so, having not goingthrough a 12-week plan where
(11:57):
something is telling me thatthis is the run I need to do, it
was something that I forgot howmuch I enjoyed and forgot how
much I missed.
But I also kind of want to likelet's get honest for just a
little moment.
I mean, we're already honest,but let's get a little bit more.
So you know those Instagramrunning accounts or the TikTok
accounts where everything looksperfect and magical the whole
(12:21):
time, and I know, since kind ofdiving into creating this
podcast and trying to createthis sort of brand that's around
happiness and joy and findingyour dogs per mile and every
pace is accepted, which are allvery true but I've also been
feeling that pressure to make myruns look the same and look
(12:45):
like they're delightfuladventures where we're just
going through the neighborhoodand look at these cute dogs and
everything was wonderful.
But it's just not real life.
Even the runs where it was apaced run the whole time is not
easy.
Sometimes they're hard andsometimes the runs are about
(13:06):
pushing past the limits that younormally have, and so I'm kind
of learning that maybe part ofthe dogs per mile mindset is not
just about avoiding thosemoments, it's about finding our
own way to embrace them, becauseI'm currently it's a struggle
to A want to take pictures ofmyself where I'm struggling, and
(13:30):
so you're taking them after therun or before the run, when
you're not tired, and so itgives this false sense, or that
it just feeds more into thatperfect social media concept,
and I want to, as I'm creatingthis, find a balance between
what my brand is and what myvalues are with this, with Dogs
(13:52):
Per Mile, but at the same time,I need to stay authentic to
myself and the type of runnerthat I am.
Stay authentic to myself andthe type of runner that I am.
Runners are complex.
I don't know one that's not.
No runner falls into onespecific type.
You may be a trail runner, butyou may also be a trail runner
(14:14):
that loves speed and wants toqualify for Boston and wants to
do these sort of things, or youcan be a trail runner that wants
to run them slow and enjoys thesnack part about them, and just
there's just so much diversityin the running community, not
just from types of runners andbody types, and so I want to be
(14:38):
authentic to the runner that Iam and allow that to come
through the complex nature ofwhy I run and why that changes,
and so I'm working to find thebalance and trying to find the
best way to enjoy running whilealso not being afraid to want to
get faster can be.
(15:00):
It feels to me just taboo,based on the brand I've created,
and how am I supposed to be saythat I'm an expert in this
field of finding fun and running.
If I also want to.
I'm also telling you to notworry about your pace and turn
your watch away, but at the sametime, I'm shooting for a race
(15:20):
where I have to run a nineminute and 10 second mile for
13.1 miles.
How do I exist in that world?
And so I'm giving myself andgiving you permission I'm really
good about.
I really am passionate aboutpeople getting permission to run
the way they want, and so I'mgiving myself permission to
(15:42):
share all aspects of running,including pace, including trying
to meet that goal, because Iwould love to meet that goal and
then, at the end, still behappy, still have had a fun race
, where I look at the picturesand I look excited and joy, not
because it's easy, but because Iam having fun, and I think
that's the big thing is that itdoesn't have to be easy, but it
(16:04):
has to be fun.
Here's what I'm starting tofigure out, and I really want to
.
You know, emphasize the wordI'm starting, because it's
definitely a work in progress,because the magic isn't about
choosing to be a seriousInstagram fluencer runner or a
fun runner.
Maybe it's more about creatingspace within myself to do both.
(16:26):
So some days the dog per milecount is going to be through the
roof because I've chose to goaround Loose Park.
I change the time of my daybecause I just want to see that
and I'm more doing a loiter runthan having any sort of agenda.
But then I also want the otherdays.
That means that I see nothingexciting on my run because I am
(16:50):
running at a crazy hour, becauseI'm running on crazy weather or
because I'm running just tomake myself feel strong, and I
think that's just how it'ssupposed to be, that it's
supposed to be a both andapproach.
I'm supposed to be both aserious and a fun runner.
You can be both at the sametime and blend them together and
be okay with some runs justbeing about your goal and
(17:15):
creating the space in myself totalk about the numbers, even
though I think that they can betaboo and they can.
Talking about paces can be avery hard thing for some people
because if you say I ran an easyrun and they look at your pace
and it's a nine minute mile anda nine minute is a sprint for
(17:36):
you, it can be discouraging,even if it's just that you're
trying to have a sort of diaryof what your goal was or your
run was.
So I want to create that sortof space and then build your
community.
I want to build a communityaround finding the balance
between being a serious runnerand being a fun runner, because
(17:56):
I think these can both exist.
It's just about finding peoplewho support both and who are
okay with that shifting back andforth and that pendulum
swinging to if you have a rungroup or if you have a run
friend.
Some days you're going to shiftthat pendulum to.
This run is about my goal and Ineed to run these intervals and
(18:18):
then the other ones are moremore relaxed.
So thank you, thank you againfor listening, as, as I wrap up
this episode, I just want to besuper duper clear that I don't
have this all figured out.
So that's the most importanttakeaway is that I don't have a
guide.
I don't have three tips to helpyou balance these two things,
(18:40):
because I'm still figuring itout inside of myself and we're
all works in progress.
You're allowed to be amasterpiece and a work in
progress at the same time.
We're trying to find our waysand our running journey and the
seasons that we're in, andsometimes we'll get that balance
down to a T and we'll have itand it'll feel comfortable
(19:02):
inside of us.
Other days we'll kind of wobblebetween the two and it's not
just.
That's not just okay.
That's exactly where we shouldbe.
So I invite you to share yourgoals.
I'm going to share my goalswhen I sign up for my next race.
I'm excited to feel the passionin running that I enjoyed so
(19:26):
much so long ago and kind of getmy pendulum to be feel more
centered so I can feel moreauthentically like myself and
come out across like that.
Because I want to give you guystips that are that I've done
before.
So I'm gonna keep doing updatesand episodes on this how I'm
able to find the balance, thingsthat have worked for me as I
(19:47):
try them, things that went toshit, and please don't do that,
and I really hope you followalong on this journey.
But before you head out on yournext run regardless of if it is
a badass speed run or a easychit chat, gossip session with
your running buddy I want tohear your thoughts on this.
(20:09):
I want to hear how you balancejoy with having goals.
I know I have a lot of runnerfriends who are looking to
qualify for races and I'd loveto know how you balance these
two.
So please, you know, shoot me aDM, tag me in Instagram or
TikTok, because I'm stillfiguring this out, but I would
love if we could figure this outtogether.
(20:30):
Thank you again so much.
I hope you appreciate thisepisode and I will see you in
the next one.
Keep running and keep countingthose dogs.
Thanks for sharing another milewith me today.
Before you cool down, here arethree quick ways to stay
(20:53):
connected with our runningcommunity.
First, hit subscribe whereveryou're listening to this right
now.
It's the best way to make sureyou never miss an episode.
Second, if today's show helpedyou or inspired you, please
leave a review.
Your words help other runnersfind their way to our community.
Lastly, want more runningadventures?
Follow at Dogs Per Mile Pod onInstagram, where I share daily
(21:13):
motivation, behind the scenesmoments and plenty of pictures
of my two running coaches, yogiand Maple.
Be sure to tag me in your runphotos and use hashtag Dogs Per
Mile to share your own dogspotting stats.
I love celebrating yourvictories, big and small, and
thank you for being a part ofthis journey.
Until our next run together,remember, every step forward is
progress and every dog you seeis bonus motivation.
(21:35):
Keep running, keep smiling andkeep counting those dogs.
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