"Rav's Why" - Chapter Six
Rav’s father likens her training to her work as a corporate attorney: It can really be a grind and you need to push through some unpleasant periods. Rav even says that she both loves and hates training for marathons. She loves the marathon “in concept” and the workouts around it, but it takes so much out of you.
Why does she make it work?
Balance. Running and training, for Rav, is so different from what she does on a day-to-day basis, that it is a welcomed stress release. She believes in the importance in developing and investing in things outside of work to stave off a work burnout. However, Rav is the first one to mention that she burns the candle from both ends and sleep sometimes takes a back seat.
How does she make it work?
Flexibility. Rav’s controlled chaos of her profession oftentimes throws wrenches in to the plan. She may have told the squad that she’ll be ready for a workout at 7am, but may need to scrap those plans due to something at work. The willingness to adjust, prioritize, and work out as a lone wolf has kept her training on track. Rav knows that she runs for fun and if running feels like a second job, it isn’t worth it.
”It’s everything and it’s nothing at the same time…”
Rav’s logic rules all. The OTQ standard is just a time that someone else set, but it is something worth pursuing. Rav debuted in the marathon with a sub-3 hour time and has successfully chipped away at her time to reach her most recent time of 2:50:55. In her most ambitious “cut-down” yet, Rav chases the OTQ she’s had her eye on through her career on the roads thusfar. However, there’s a team pursuing the standard together.
In her previous races, the lone wolf has lone wolf-ed. The team aspect is something Rav looks forward to for training and on race day as well. The team makes it worth something more, despite the outcome. She says that even if she doesn’t cross the line under 2:45 and someone else from the team does, she feels like she played a part in the success of her teammate.
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