How is it being sub-elite?

apackeddirttrack wrote:

the US running community needs people like you to help elevate standards, provide better racing opportunities, mentor future sub-elites + youth and to just build a stronger network. the sub-elite presence seems very weak and isolated in my view. we could have clubs all over the country with elite to sub-elite on down...instead we have a handful of cities with sporadic groups. it's no surprise the sport has no respect in the public sphere. there's zero presence

if you're looking for purpose beyond chasing your own dreams/times i think this could be a very appealing aspect - building the community. you could learn a lot from heading to a place like iten, but we could use people getting things going back here at home.

I'm actually already coaching a local youth club and working with our high school team on a part time assistant coach basis; I had been working 60+ hours a week and just training on the side but once I started coaching my motivation to work long hours really started to tank and all I really wanted to do was coach and run.

My motivation is of course chiefly to push myself and achieve my own goals, however I definitely see contributing to the running community as an important secondary goal. Part of my thinking in processing this whole idea has been that the running community needs more people in between the elite ranks and recreational runners, and if I'm not willing to fill that role who would be?

Again thanks everyone for all the good posts! I've been thinking about this for a bit and had mostly made up my mind but wanted a little more input from outside of my direct support system.

Thinkster wrote:

Hey I was trying to be encouraging!

Life Direction wrote:

Okay, so Peach Tree 20-30 was a bad example... I can do that now. Next time I throw around examples I'll have to look up the results first!

Don't worry I knew you were being encouraging, but I totally misjudged that example!

I've done it while working full time and looking after my career as well.

Not gonna lie, at times its a Bitch and I don't have much free time. As far as Social life, on weeknights you can kiss that good bye and sleep, let just say I don't get near as much as most guys running 120+ miles a week.

Its required a lot of sacrifices to do both but easily worth it. There's not much in the business world you can do that is truly special but the running at a high level is a very short window. Being able to look back on my running career and see the accomplishments I've had there will be more than worth it.

Maybe I could be running a little faster if I did a part time job or half assed job that took less time and was lower stress. But to me I didn't want to set myself back all those years career wise. I have always wondered how much faster I could run if I had time to focus on just running and tailor my life around that.

You sound like someone that doesn't have enough skin in the game.

1. Be all in.

2. Call yourself a runner and don't add anything to it.

3. Enjoy where you are right now.

4. Don't compare with others.

i am an exec in a software company... and i'll tell you quite frankly, i've seen a million resumes that all look fantastic only to be let down by the character of the individual.

show me your resume that has a gap where you went for it with running and then came to the "professional world" afterward, and i'd bed your character will make you stand out in the crowd of sheep.

but don't half-ass it... don't dip your toe in the water to see.

commit a certain number of years and a tangible result and go for it.

big monkey wrench would be if you meet a significant other and want to marry/start a family... while i'd love to say that other should/could be supportive, that is a very tough proposition.

bradley strider wrote:

but don't half-ass it... don't dip your toe in the water to see.

commit a certain number of years and a tangible result and go for it.

.

YES. YES. YES.

I say go for it. I did just what you asked (What's it like being in the middle of the pack at Oly trials?) back in the 80's. Stayed in grad school, and lived off of graduate assistantship and house painting on the side fro a few years. ran for Converse and Adidas.

.

That being said, I qualified for 1984 Oly. trials with a 2:18 and got bib number 163 out of 186 qualifiers (before you could qualify with a half marathon) - the field was deep that year. The Buffalo course was humid and warm. had had only so-so prep going into the race. I red lined for 19 miles (1:09 1/2), running in top 50 or so and blew up. jogged and walked in with a 2:32. hardest race I ever ran. Got a couple of third places after that at mid-majors (Baltimore, Marine Corps, Bermuda), finished MBA and got a job in banking.

I did get started later but I never regretted a day of training and racing for those 7 or 8 years. great job and life now, getting ready to turn 60. Go for it!

Great article, wonder what ever happened to those guys. Does Employee 1.1 still work at letsrun?

At least for me, the sub-elite lifestyle was extremely grueling and entailed major sacrifices, with no benefits othjer than intangible ones(which, at first, were enough for me). In my post-collegiate years it was a monastic existence of finding a way to cram 100+ mile training weeks and double workouts around a full-time job. In terms of effort and time spent my training was the same as an elite, but due to piss-poor genetics I wasn't getting elite results. Still, I was all-in and fully committed to breaking through to elite,, with running my top priority. Every decision I made was in the context of "How will this affect my running?" And if something was going to negatively impact my training or racing, I didn't do it. I'd finish my second daily workout at 7:30 or 8pm, and if I wanted to get a decent amount of sleep that left me 2 hours to eat and take care of life's other mundane necessities, like laundry, dinner, paying bills, etc. There wasn't much time for anything else.I was doing little else other than training, eating, working, and sleeping too little. Yes, as Star wrote upthread, "It's a great journey to seek your limits," but when you eventually realize that no matter how hard you work or how badly you want it that those limits will keep you forever sub-elite, then the charm of getting up in the 4:30am dark in the dead of winter just so you can be pack filler at nationals, or win the occassional regional race, wears off quickly. When I started running in my early teens the intrinsic rewards of setting goals, working towards them and seeing improvement was more than enough for me, but after hitting my genetic limits, being constantly tired, having no social life or vacations (I used my vacation days to travel to races) and going to bed every night at 9:30 started to wear thin. At that point I felt that I was putting far more into running than I was getting out of it, and I stopped.

Despite all that, I don't regret making the attempt at seeing how good I could get in my prime athletic years, even though the end result was a major disappointment. Far better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all. I say go for it.

Great thoughts. I am not just saying this to make you feel better, but I wouldn't say that you failed. I know that you did not achieve your goal of elite status, but you pretty much got everything out of running that you could have, and that is about the best that anyone can ever really say about themselves as a runner.

I think the sacrifice can be overblown at times. I'm not an amazing runner, but I'm not bad at all. When running great I'm a 1:06+/- Half Guy, when I'm running good I'm closer to a 1:08+/- guy.

I realized when I was around 26 that my life was more fun when I had money and was pursuing my career, other hobbies, etc while still devoting a good amount of time to training and racing instead of being poorish and being obsessed with racing.

I work 45+ish hours a week in marketing, Which means I work 8:45-5:15 most days and skip lunch break to work and then maybe work an hour at night 2 times a week to catch up/get ahead.

Every day is pretty much the same wake up at 6:45, do easy 4-6 mile run every morning from 7:00-7:45, shower, go to work by 8:45. Get off at 5:15, drive home unwind, play with my dog an do a workout from 6:00-7:00 whether thats an easy run from the house or a track workout or road tempo, etc. Either way I'm usually home between 7:00-7:30 get a beer or two cook dinner watch the game, put on album whatever, have drinks with friends, etc. (just not before workout days).

This schedule equates to around 85-100mpw

I don't feel like I miss out and since I like what Im doing I enjoy it. I still participate in hobbies I like when I want (skiing, kayaking, riding, hiking, camping) Go get beers when I want on weekend nights after workouts. I just don't go out and get obliterated because whats the point anyway.

I think the biggest benefits from being "sub-elite" are as follows

1) Qualify for US championships because those are some great races, unique memories and you meet some great people, and have great stories

2) You can usually get free shoes/gear to subsidize your hobby

3) You can pick up a a few thousand dollars a year if you pick races correctly

4) Regional Races sometimes give you a hotel at a cool city or location which is nice because you can turn a race win with $$$ and a hotel into a free vacation

5) You're doing something that keeps you fit and mentally happy.

So yea, being sub-elite can be great. You basically get to pursue your hobby free and reap some benefits even if you are essentially a no name on the big scene.

I love this lifestyle.

Being sub-elite can be heartbreaking and also rewarding. I am trying to get back into the swing of things myself. The most difficult thing for me is that support is very limited unless you are located in a structured training environment. Whether you directly thought about it or not, you were always running for something more than yourself.

I quickly outgrew my team in my collegiate days and worked out alone with just a coach being out there to give my splits in the later years. However, now that I am out, I am truly solo. The sport is fickle and doesn't care about your circumstances. It stares you down and asks if you truly want it or not. Couple with life's pursuits, it can make it very difficult at times.

Being sub-elite breaks you down and makes you question why you still do this at times. I will say that once I realized I do this thing because I love pushing my limits it got a lot easy. Drills, weights, doubles, gross healthy diets, etc. all became more enjoyable at that moment. Some people lose sight of that once they don't have the responsibility of a team to hide behind and give in very easy to life when trying to make it as a sub-elite.

It helps that my life is now centered around running now. Currently coach at the Divison 1 level. I have a long time girlfriend who will also be coaching and teaching. Her dad also coached D1. Totally 100% supportive. Will we be rolling in cash? Hell no. Will we be very content in pursuing what we love now that we know what we want? Hell yea.

Maybe I am a little more fortunate than others. I truly feel for 9-5 type jobs that make it tough to squeeze in runs. But honestly, we sometimes make it seem like we are some kind of martyrs. Running doesn't take that much time. Elites take naps for their regimen. It's just hard and really make you insecure about where you are compared to others in life that didn't make the pursuit. Once you move past that and be confident in doing what you love, things get enjoyable.

No, don't go for it. Do something cool like learn to play guitar and join a rock band. That's more fun.

Ain't nothing like sub-sub-sub elite my man

For those of you who became professional runners elite/sub elite, what were your times?

Cali is for luv wrote:

You sound like someone that doesn't have enough skin in the game.

1. Be all in.

2. Call yourself a runner and don't add anything to it.

3. Enjoy where you are right now.

4. Don't compare with others.

Thanks for the advice Bro, sure you hold yourself to the same level you hold me to. You're right someone who hit 120 mile weeks on a regular basis doesn't have much skin in the game, its all been done on a lark.

There is a lot of satisfaction to be gained by just going for it and giving it everything you have. This applies to anything in life.

Decide what you want.

Commit to it.

No matter the outcome you will know you did your best. And the experience of committing to something you really want and doing it will help you down the road of your life when you decide to use that degree or start a family or another career or whatever.

This answer is the same if you are 23 or 63.

No matter what anybody says going after your dream and giving everything in the pursuit of your own excellence is what makes life worth living. Do not quit until you are sure you have reached your top.

Life Direction wrote:

apackeddirttrack wrote:

I'm actually already coaching a local youth club and working with our high school team on a part time assistant coach basis; I had been working 60+ hours a week and just training on the side but once I started coaching my motivation to work long hours really started to tank and all I really wanted to do was coach and run.

My motivation is of course chiefly to push myself and achieve my own goals, however I definitely see contributing to the running community as an important secondary goal. Part of my thinking in processing this whole idea has been that the running community needs more people in between the elite ranks and recreational runners, and if I'm not willing to fill that role who would be?

totally on the same page here.

coached for a year or two as well but i think you can offer more by just training and competing at a high level. it's a rare thing and i think it resonates

good luck filling the gap. i thinking working part-time is the sweet spot btw