THE
WICKED
Running Register
September/October 2015 • Priceless
Est. Jan 2010
Presidential Perspective Michael Harvey
Why do you enter a race you can’t possibly win? As a runner, there is a good chance that someone has or will ask you this question. In all honesty, it is a fair question. The truth of the matter is that most of us have zero chance of winning a race. We have all probably heard or given some of the standard answers. I race to improve my times. I race against myself. To a non-runner these may sound a bit more like a justification than a real reason. Ironically, during the year I have served as the President of this running club I haven’t entered a single race. It wasn’t a conscious decision, it just sort of happened, as life often does. It has taught me a great deal about the benefits of competitive running. Yes, I ran to PR. Yes, I loved the spirit of competition. So if asked the question posed above, my answers would have been pretty much the same. What I didn’t realize was the all the other aspects of competitive running that I just took for granted. Here is what I have learned: 1. Competition keeps you motivated. Yes, I’ve had a hectic year full of life-
changing events, but I could have run more consistently than I did. Not having an upcoming race made it much easier to skip a long run on a Saturday morning, or run a shorter distance than I had planned. It was so easy to just say, “eh…I’m not training for anything”. I almost never did that when I had an upcoming race. 2. Racing is fun. Looking back, doing well in a race is a thrill, but I’ve had races where I didn’t run particularly well, but still had a really good time. 3. Racing is social. I have met more people at races than I can count, and I have gotten to know people better because of racing. Whether it’s car-pooling with someone to race, sharing a room the night before a distant race, or just having a drink and talking about your race with someone at the bar, it builds bonds. We are runners, and running draws us together and has an amazing ability to build friendships that can last a lifetime. I miss it. I miss all of you. So the next time someone asks you why you pay money to enter a race you can’t possibly win, you can say anything you want, but the next time someone asks me, I think I will just smile and say, “you wouldn’t understand. Why don’t you enter a race and see for yourself ”. Go Wicked!
Michael
Wicked Kudos Congratulations to Beth O’Grady for placing first in her age group in the Wicked Half Marathon and the Nahant Half Marathon only a week apart. - Doug Bollen Great to see so many Wicked Runners at Lone Gull 10K. Great job to all who ran! - Timothy Short A Wicked Shout Out to 11 year old Alex Gallucci, for completing the Lone Gull 10K, his first 10K ever! - Don Gallucci
Congrats to everyone who reached the beach in September!! - Valerie Mathews
Seen and Heard “It is all peace, love, and Jimmy Carter at 5:30 AM” -Sandi Dalton