Running Unfiltered: Joy, Goals, & Finding Balance

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!

Transcript

Balancing Joy and Running Goals

Bridget 0:08

Hey runners , welcome to the Dogs Per Mile podcast , your weekly dose of running reality . Here we count dogs instead of minutes and turn running stats upside down . I'm Bridget , your host , certified running coach and creator of the Dogs per mile mindset . Here's the thing 13 years ago , I started my running journey , like many of you , watching the stats on my garment and getting discouraged when they didn't match what they should be saying . That's when I discovered the magic of counting dogs in my run , because sometimes the best running stat isn't your pace or distance . Now , with over 50 half marathons , two marathons and countless training runs under my belt , I'm here to share a different approach to running , one that breaks down mental barriers , eases those pre-run anxieties and yes , includes a weekly update of my personal dogs per mile count . Whether you're lacing up for the first time , getting back into running after a break , struggling your training with group fitness classes or chasing your next PR , you've found your people . This is where we take the pressure off and put the joy back in running , because every runner has a place here and every dog site is worth celebrating . Hey runners , welcome back to the Dogs Per Mile podcast . I'm your host , bridget . Thank you again for joining me today . So today I kind of need to have an honest conversation with you about something that's been kind of weighing on my mind and something I think everyone can relate to as a runner or starting out .

Bridget 1:38

When I started this podcast , I knew that it was about breaking free from the pressures of pace and finding the joy in running . But at the same time , lately , I have been wrestling with something internally that seems to contradict that the fact that I want to run faster , I want to improve my speed , I want to run another sub two hour half marathon , and part of me kind of feel like a fraud to talk about a goal that has a pace attached with it , a number attached with it , because by somehow having this goal time , this idea that it makes me a bad dog per mile , you know , ambassador , dog per mile , ambassador , dog per mile , mindset creator . But it's kind of about time that we talk about that middle part , that kind of messy , sticky middle area where joy and performance goals can coexist at the same time , even if they're not done perfectly to a T , even if everything seems to not mesh together , because I always want to be very real and authentic on this podcast and I don't have the answer . So if you're looking for a perfectly created guide on how to mix these two together , it's not here . I don't have it . I'm just being real and I am figuring out this right alongside of you .

Bridget 3:10

And this conversation , I think , matters the most now as , moving into spring training , that's when I typically like to train for spring races . I enjoy training in the winter . It's much easier for me and much more enjoyable , and so I really want to be able to talk about this goal and share it and be excited , without feeling like I am talking about how fast I'm running or the paces or anything like that . And so I think this conversation really matters , and so I hope you will humor me and listen to this kind of conversation about finding some sort of balance between joy and performance , knowing you're trying to correct your form while running , running and then sometimes you kind of over correct , you start to focus like , okay , I need to focus on engaging my glutes while I'm running , and so then you're focusing on that and then suddenly your butt is like tucked under and you're running all crazy . Or you're focusing on relaxing your shoulders and suddenly you have your little arms up and you're crawling like a T-Rex , because you've so focused on something else you almost swing in the opposite direction . So it kind of is like a pendulum swing , and that's what's happened to my relationship with my running goals . I think I have swung from being very goal-oriented to swinging very , very far that every run must be joyful . Everyone must be about dogs per mile , and I think I lost that other part of myself along the way . And I really want to talk about finding the middle ground , because it's not about choosing between having joy on runs or having goals . It's about how those two can exist within you and work together to keep your love of running Previously I've talked about before .

Bridget 5:17

Last year I was trying to shoot again for another sub two hour half , again for another sub two hour half . The last time I did that was back in 19 when I did a sub two hour half at the Salve Island 4th of July race , and so I had been working and using . I had used my Garmin training app because it's one of my favorites . It's very easy . The Romans just come up on your watch and just I was . I had a goal set of a sub two hour half . I was following the plan . I was doing the paces at the right time and I had a strategically planned timeline out to shoot for a certain time and then chip away and eventually get to the sub two hour half .

Bridget 5:57

And I , by all logic , I had everything dialed in and then it just didn't happen . And so I think from that I just was so frustrated that it seemed that I checked all the boxes , I did all the steps , I did everything and I didn't meet my goal . So I think I swung in the other direction to find more joy , because a little bit of my joy was taken away when I crossed the finish line and didn't get this up too , which I'm still proud of that performance , because I didn't give in , I didn't cry , I got over the finish line and I was still much happier than my husband thought I was going to be . So I want to find that balance where I'm allowed to have runs that are fun , I'm allowed to encourage others and wave and maybe wear a fun costume or maybe go run with Christmas lights on , but at the same time I also want to run some runs where I know I have to run the mile repeats , at eight minute miles , for example and be okay with balancing that . And so I think I need to swing that back towards the middle , because both matter .

Bridget 7:10

In order to meet your goal , you have 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 to meet a goal . That is the way it works . But at the same time , the only thing that's going to keep you going is having fun or finding some sort of joy . In some of the moments it may not be all the moments when you're in a training cycle that's aggressive or has a goal in mind , but they both do matter in order to have success . Because finding the joy metrics is what's going to keep you going when the pace metrics are not working or your heart rate's not working or you get injured and somebody goes out the window or helps you build that resilience in your mind . So those both elements do need to exist , but we also need to swing it back towards kind of the middle ground of this .

Bridget 8:06

So I want to tell you kind of a run I had this past week . That kind of is what really is the catalyst for this conversation and what really makes me want to talk about this . So I set out this last week . I've been just usually doing just whatever base pace run my watch has told me so 40 minutes , 30 minutes , adding an odd whatever , keeping the heart rate in the easy zone . So this run I set out to do some intervals and I really wanted to do one of the program runs that I have that I've created , which was warming up two minutes hard , two minutes recovery , and you kind of repeat that eight times and then you cool down and usually this has me looking at my watch , waiting for those two minutes to end or making sure that I am in that , making sure that I'm in that pace , and instead of focusing and having it be pace-related , I turned that part off .

Bridget 9:01

I recreated the run and so that way it was just the timer and was based on effort , because once I stepped outside and realized how windy it was , I knew that it was not going to do me any good to try and hit certain paces , try and hit 730s for two minutes . This was not going to work for me and as I'm doing the warmup , it starts to snow . It's not snowing heavy , it's not crazy , but instead of being upset that that snow was going to impact my ability to do my splits and do what I normally do , which is give up and just keep running at an easy pace . I decided that I didn't want to do that , that I wanted to feel like a badass . I wanted cars to drive by and in my head I wanted them to say , look at that fucking girl out there crushing her run in the snow . That was my motivation , was the imagination the created in my mind experience of other people driving by and being inspired or being surprised that someone was out running in this crazy weather and that it was cold . And it was me that I do love getting a really hard run in and feeling excited and motivated that I got that victory . So obviously I saw no dogs , so I couldn't do my normal .

Balancing Goals and Joy in Running

Bridget 10:32

Here's a way to find joy , and it's also really hard in those runs where you're running for a short period of time to find those smaller amounts of joy . And for once , for the first time in a long time , I was celebrating a little victory that I did a hard run , I didn't give up , I didn't pause my watch every time it got hard and kind of cheat my watch and say , oh look , I ran all these at this pace , but I really didn't , and so I started to . I felt the joy in the challenge versus the joy in just seeing something silly . But that also brought back out that pendulum . I'm like I can't post about this run or I can post about it , but I have to . I have to kind of translate it a little bit because it doesn't fit with my , my brand or anything like that .

Bridget 11:21

This turned into a different type of running victory and using that as the catalyst to say I can do more , and I really I enjoyed that because it brought me back to the why I started running or what I loved about it was . I loved the training process , I loved the different types of runs you would do and their purpose , and I hadn't had that in so long that I forgot what that was like , because I haven't trained for a race since that May 1 . And so , having not going through a 12-week plan where something is telling me that this is the run I need to do , it was something that I forgot how much I enjoyed and forgot how much I missed . But I also kind of want to like let's get honest for just a little moment . I mean , we're already honest , but let's get a little bit more .

Bridget 12:13

So you know those Instagram running accounts or the TikTok accounts where everything looks perfect and magical the whole time , and I know , since kind of diving into creating this podcast and trying to create this sort of brand that's around happiness and joy and finding your dogs per mile and every pace is accepted , which are all very true but I've also been feeling that pressure to make my runs look the same and look like they're delightful adventures where we're just going through the neighborhood and look at these cute dogs and everything was wonderful . But it's just not real life . Even the runs where it was a paced run the whole time is not easy . Sometimes they're hard and sometimes the runs are about pushing past the limits that you normally have , and so I'm kind of learning that maybe part of the dogs per mile mindset is not just about avoiding those moments , it's about finding our own way to embrace them , because I'm currently it's a struggle to A want to take pictures of myself where I'm struggling , and so you're taking them after the run or before the run , when you're not tired , and so it gives this false sense , or that it just feeds more into that perfect social media concept , and I want to , as I'm creating this , find a balance between what my brand is and what my values are with this , with Dogs Per Mile , but at the same time , I need to stay authentic to myself and the type of runner that I am . Stay authentic to myself and the type of runner that I am .

Bridget 14:04

Runners are complex . I don't know one that's not . No runner falls into one specific type . You may be a trail runner , but you may also be a trail runner that loves speed and wants to qualify for Boston and wants to do these sort of things , or you can be a trail runner that wants to run them slow and enjoys the snack part about them , and just there's just so much diversity in the running community , not just from types of runners and body types , and so I want to be authentic to the runner that I am and allow that to come through the complex nature of why I run and why that changes , and so I'm working to find the balance and trying to find the best way to enjoy running while also not being afraid to want to get faster can be . It feels to me just taboo , based on the brand I've created , and how am I supposed to be say that I'm an expert in this field of finding fun and running . If I also want to .

Bridget 15:13

I'm also telling you to not worry about your pace and turn your watch away , but at the same time , I'm shooting for a race where I have to run a nine minute and 10 second mile for 13.1 miles . How do I exist in that world ? And so I'm giving myself and giving you permission I'm really good about . I really am passionate about people getting permission to run the way they want , and so I'm giving myself permission to share all aspects of running , including pace , including trying to meet that goal , because I would love to meet that goal and then , at the end , still be happy , still have had a fun race , where I look at the pictures and I look excited and joy , not because it's easy , but because I am having fun , and I think that's the big thing is that it doesn't have to be easy , but it has to be fun .

Bridget 16:05

Here's what I'm starting to figure out , and I really want to . You know , emphasize the word I'm starting , because it's definitely a work in progress , because the magic isn't about choosing to be a serious Instagram fluencer runner or a fun runner . Maybe it's more about creating space within myself to do both . So some days the dog per mile count is going to be through the roof because I've chose to go around Loose Park . I change the time of my day because I just want to see that and I'm more doing a loiter run than having any sort of agenda . But then I also want the other days . That means that I see nothing exciting on my run because I am running at a crazy hour , because I'm running on crazy weather or because I'm running just to make myself feel strong , and I think that's just how it's supposed to be , that it's supposed to be a both and approach . I'm supposed to be both a serious and a fun runner . You can be both at the same time and blend them together and be okay with some runs just being about your goal and creating the space in myself to talk about the numbers , even though I think that they can be taboo and they can .

Bridget 17:25

Talking about paces can be a very hard thing for some people because if you say I ran an easy run and they look at your pace and it's a nine minute mile and a nine minute is a sprint for you , it can be discouraging , even if it's just that you're trying to have a sort of diary of what your goal was or your run was . So I want to create that sort of space and then build your community . I want to build a community around finding the balance between being a serious runner and being a fun runner , because I think these can both exist . It's just about finding people who support both and who are okay with that shifting back and forth and that pendulum swinging to if you have a run group or if you have a run friend . Some days you're going to shift that pendulum to . This run is about my goal and I need to run these intervals and then the other ones are more more relaxed .

Bridget 18:22

So thank you , thank you again for listening , as , as I wrap up this episode , I just want to be super duper clear that I don't have this all figured out . So that's the most important takeaway is that I don't have a guide . I don't have three tips to help you balance these two things , because I'm still figuring it out inside of myself and we're all works in progress . You're allowed to be a masterpiece and a work in progress at the same time . We're trying to find our ways and our running journey and the seasons that we're in , and sometimes we'll get that balance down to a T and we'll have it and it'll feel comfortable inside of us . Other days we'll kind of wobble between the two and it's not just . That's not just okay . That's exactly where we should be .

Bridget 19:12

So I invite you to share your goals . I'm going to share my goals when I sign up for my next race . I'm excited to feel the passion in running that I enjoyed so much so long ago and kind of get my pendulum to be feel more centered so I can feel more authentically like myself and come out across like that . Because I want to give you guys tips that are that I've done before . So I'm gonna keep doing updates and episodes on this how I'm able to find the balance , things that have worked for me as I try them , things that went to shit , and please don't do that , and I really hope you follow along on this journey . But before you head out on your next run regardless of if it is a badass speed run or a easy chit chat , gossip session with your running buddy I want to hear your thoughts on this . I want to hear how you balance joy with having goals . I know I have a lot of runner friends who are looking to qualify for races and I'd love to know how you balance these two . So please , you know , shoot me a DM , tag me in Instagram or TikTok , because I'm still figuring this out , but I would love if we could figure this out together . Thank you again so much . I hope you appreciate this episode and I will see you in the next one . Keep running and keep counting those dogs . Thanks for sharing another mile with me today .

Bridget 20:50

Before you cool down , here are three quick ways to stay connected with our running community . First , hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this right now . It's the best way to make sure you never miss an episode . Second , if today's show helped you or inspired you , please leave a review . Your words help other runners find their way to our community . Lastly , want more running adventures ? Follow at Dogs Per Mile Pod on Instagram , where I share daily motivation , behind the scenes moments and plenty of pictures of my two running coaches , yogi and Maple . Be sure to tag me in your run photos and use hashtag Dogs Per Mile to share your own dog spotting stats . I love celebrating your victories , big and small , and thank you for being a part of this journey . 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 .