Thursday, January 2, 2025
Frequent readers of this BLOG know that as a seasoned runner, the one part I truly love about running more than anything else is the ability to share my love of running by pacing events.
I’ve paced more than 50 races… both full and half marathons. I do love taking runners to their running ‘promised land’. My regular pacing gig is around the 3-hour time frame for a half, and 6-hour on the full.
A true pacer knows pacing an event is never ‘your race’… the event is always for your runners. This means you always chose a pace you should be able to easily make in a non-stressful way.
It comes down to this: It’s hard to motivate your runners to hit a pace and continue to run when the pacer needs motivation and help!
The best part of pacing are those very sweaty HUGS you get from those runners who didn’t think they could make it happen… and they did.
As we know, running longer distances such as a full or half demands both physical AND mental stamina. I’ve certainly talked my share of runners out of quitting. In January ’24, I paced the 5:56 time for the Houston Full. One runner wanted to quit at mile 15… she finished. Around mile 20, another wanted to also quit. She also finished. Both runners are now MARATHONERS completing their FIRST MARATHONS.
The greatest joy any pacer can ever receive is when a runner looks right at you and says they would not have successfully crossed the finish line without YOUR help. Just thinking about this is almost bringing a tear to my eye.
I like to sign up for as many pacing events as I can economically fit into my schedule. (Heck… I don’t have unlimited travel funds after all!)
At the time I ruptured my Achilles tendon, I had already committed to pacing 6 events. Knowing there would be no physical way I would be ready for any of these events, the only thing to do would be to immediately contact each event’s pacing organizer… explain my circumstances… withdraw from pacing… and ask to be considered for next year’s pacing team.
An immediate notification of a pacer’s inability to pace is both the fair and right thing to do. And, in this case, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
As of this writing, 3 of my canceled pacing events have occurred… one in November and two in December. Sad… but necessary. The remaining 3 are two this month (January) and one in March.
Quote the Terminator… “I’ll Be Back!”.
And I will. Promise!
Let’s Talk! Email me at RupturedRunner@gmail.com.
Ruptured Runner 
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