Who Am I?

I am an avid runner and have been running since I was 15 years old. I began running low to medium distances while on my high school track team, running the 800 meter and 1600 meter races (I was a sub 5 miler and a 2 minute 800 runner). In addition to the track team, I also joined the cross country team. After high school I still wanted to run and decided to start doing road races. I have probably ran a couple hundred 5k races (16.29 PR)along with many 10k's as well. In 2009 I decided to step up my game and try to tackle my first marathon. I will be honest; the only reason I did this was because my father ran a few and I wanted to show him that I could do what he did. I trained poorly for my first one and regret it. If you are going to run a race, train like you want to win. I still continue to run marathons and other distances as well, and every race is a chance for me to better myself.
I started this blog to hopefully communicate with other runners and to shed any knowledge I may have about the sport that can help other runners. I believe running is the best sport and can be a great stress reliever. I encourage all runners to spread the word of our sport and show people why running is so good and why the community of runners has such great people. You can follow me on twitter @byrne1324 or find me on facebook- Shaun Byrne

Monday, December 2, 2013

Trotting It Up

     I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving as much as I did.  This year I decided to run in the Pittsburgh Turkey Trot alongside 7,000 plus runners.  This was my first year to ever run the race and it was actually my first five mile race I ever ran which is kind of crazy considering all of the races I have ran. The weather was bitter cold on the morning of the race and it was very hard to stay loose and warm.  It took about two miles into the race until I actually felt like I was comfortable. I ended up finishing the race with a time of 40:02. Not the best time, but not the worst time. As I get older I am starting to not worry too much about the time (at least not in short races). When I was in my early twenties I went into every race thinking I had to place in my age group and finish in the top ten. Recently though, I use the short races as a training platform for marathons. I have always had trouble gauging how fast I am going in a race. I would always start out running a fast first mile then die down later in races. Now I am starting to learn how to pace myself and I am starting to be able to tell how fast I am running, even when I throw a surge in.
      I guess the point I am trying to make here is there is always room for improvement and every race or every run you do is a chance for you to master your craft.  Do not get discouraged if you don't get it right the first time.  I have always believed when running a race, the best athlete will not always win but the person who has worked the hardest and the person who is willing lay it all out on the line that day will be the one to cross the finish first.  So keep fine tuning your runs and then when you are ready to let it all out, do it.  Even if it is for one race let go and take yourself to the point of no return and I guarantee you, you will walk away feeling like you did your best. You may not win the race but you will more than likely run your best time.
    I am waiting for that moment hopefully in my next marathon.  So yes, I can go out and try to run a 30 something five mile race or I can take those 5 miles as a stepping stone to reach my ultimate goal.  I think I will take that 40:02 and hold my head high and know its just a small step towards the big picture.


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