I'm quite excited about this. I had put my name in a while back and had heard afterward from someone in the know that I'd likely get to be pace leader but wasn't 100 percent certain until I got the official e-mail with the list of pace leaders, and it included my name.
I am actually one of two pace leaders. The other, an awesome gal by the name of Alex, is a pretty speedy runner, very committed and has a few more marathons under her belt than me.
I really can't quite grasp this pace leader concept yet. It's a chance to tackle running in a whole new way, to take on new challenges, to help newcomers meet and overcome challenges they may have felt weren't attainable before.
I know there will be challenges on my part. I'm kinda quiet sometimes. I'm not necessarily a grab-the-bull-by-the-horns kind of guy. I will have to be more vocal and assertive, and I suppose that leads into one of my biggest fears with this. Not all runners in my group will be newbies. The Lopers club is welcome to one and all, but there are quite a few hardcore marathoners in the club. I have fun four marathons which is freaking fantastic but there are others who have run 10, 20, 40 marathons... and I don't want to act like I know everything there is to know about marathons to someone like that.
Ultimately - and this goes for both new and veteran runners who will be in my group - I'm just going to have to prove my worth. Run strong, run hard, run run run and try and keep close to a 10-minute per mile pace.
I really do want to show others that nothing is impossible, and whether you're a first-timer or a been-there done-that runner, that's a lesson anyone can stand to gain from.
4 comments:
That is SOOO awesome LB and who better to lead that group and show them exactly that then YOU! Can't wait to hear all about it, running is about to take on even more meaning to you in the months to come.
Awesome. Do you pace the Lopers just for your group runs or at a marathon everyone decides to do too? Hmmmm....
Good luck with it. I'm sure it will be very rewarding to help others finish a race at the speed they want. For me, I'd probably have them all dying at 20 miles for going out too fast. haha!
I've always admired the pace group people! I bet you'll have a good time! Do you get to hold balloons??
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