True Story: I’m Afraid of Failing
I’m relieved that I don’t have any races on my calendar until September. Early in the year I was eager to get back to running races. They helped me ease back into training, build mileage, and feel like a runner again. After completing nine races this year, I’m ready to focus on training.
A training plan is just what I need right at this very moment. I religiously built up mileage beginning in January and stuck to a schedule through the Country Music 1/2 Marathon (you can read my race recap here). Two weeks later, I ran that crazy relay race where I completed 18 miles in less than 24 hours. Since that race my running has been a hodge podge.
I haven’t looked forward to any of the shorter races I’ve ran because I wasn’t in training or “race mode” so I’m relieved I’m only signed up for key races from now until November.
I have lofty goals for two of those three races and I need to build some confidence as well as finally say them out loud.
Source: pinkinmylife72.tumblr.com via Hungry Runner on Pinterest
My stomach is churning with butterflies as I type this… but I need to just say it, do it and stop being afraid of failure.
On September 16, 2012 I will run the Philly 1/2 Marathon with a goal time of 1:41.
On Sunday, November 4th I will run the New York City Marathon with a goal time of sub 3:40 (dream pace of 3:35).
There, I’ve said it.
What goal scares you right now? Do you too fear failure and keep your goals to yourself?
Have any advice for me? How do I get rid of this fear of failing?
I have learned, after many years of fearing failure, that it’s better to fail at something than be scared of trying at all. Fear held me back for years and I started off 2012 with the intention of doing EVERYTHING that scared me. I think it’s so brave that you put your goals out there for everyone to see and I have NO DOUBT you will shine come fall. Thank you for being so brave and so inspiring!!!! I can’t WAIT to cheer you on November 4th. Thank you for writing this post and sharing your fears with all of us. It’s nice to know I am not alone in my fear of failure.
for my last race, i kept my goals to myself…but i’m going to avoid that in the future. i shared my goals for my first race, and succeeded…but not so much my last race.
love that you shared your goals- hard to do, but i think it’s worth it! by the way, you can accomplish your goals! you got it!
ps made that pic my background- thanks for sharing!
I am dealing with this one too! It is hard. The thing is that there really isn’t any failing, there is only not trying! When I agreed to a big race, I was really hesitant to talk about it “publicly” – the only thing I came up with was to do the same thing you have already done, take a big gulp and tell the world.
By the way, I have total faith you will kill those goals and I will be rooting for you the whole way!
I know! Sometimes saying goals can be scary because it makes them real! I’m on week 6 of not running due to an injury, and I have Ragnar coming up in 3 weeks (Doctor said I might be running by then. Awesome. Doctor doesn’t know I AM running then). Then I have a half 2 weeks after than, and a full in October. So all those racing plans and I’m not able to run right now. It’s crazy! I’ve been having to readjust my expectations…to recognize that I’ll probably be much slower than what is normal for me. And it’s hard. It’s hard to even pick what an appropriate goal would be, since I can’t even run!
Because I consider myself to be a newer runner and a lot of my races have been the first time I’ve raced that particular distance, I try to keep my time goals to myself. This is mostly because I don’t want to be disappointed if I don’t meet them when I really should just be happy I finished!
I can definitely sympathize with those feelings of failure, though. I think it’s good you’re putting your goals out there in the universe, it will give you that much more focus and determination!
For a second there I thought you said you had a goal time of 1:41 for a marathon….then I thought…woah…now that is a serious goal.
Go get at it!
I waffle between keeping something to myself to keep some things private, but this is a great way of not just holding yourself accountable but allowing others to see it’s healthy and amazing to challenge yourself! GOOD for you!! I’ll be cheering you on for sure!
You get rid of that fear of failing by training your ass off and knowing you’ve done absolutely everything in your power to prepare, and then trusting that training.