5 Things Kara Goucher Learned From Finally Hitting Pause – runnersworld.com

Kara Goucher is always pushing her body toward her next goal, and that competitive nature has led to some groundbreaking performances: a silver medal in the 10K at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships, Olympic appearances, four U.S. titles, and the seventh-fastest marathon time run on a record-eligible course by an American woman are just a few of her accomplishments in a career that has spanned almost three decades.

While Goucher enjoyed her success on the track and the roads, she never let herself take a complete rest from the rigors of being a professional athlete. Every vacation in recent memory was for business, a wedding, and involved sneaking in runs early in the morning or right before dinner time.

For her, running is just as much a daily ritual as brushing her teeth.

Now in the middle of a transition to trail running at 40, Goucher finally let herself hit pause during what she called her first vacation with her family—husband Adam and son Colt—since 2010 (when Colt was born), as she explained on her blog.

She still packed one running outfit just in case, but she stuck to her no-running goal for her entire six-day trip to Maui, Hawaii, which conveniently fell on a down week in training for the Leadville Trail Marathon.

“It was life-changing to be able to let myself go,” Goucher told Runner’s World. “I’m so addicted to running and part of it is, I just love running that much and I love the joy of it…but part of it is this fear of, if I don’t run, then what? Who am I? It’s good and bad.”

Now back home in Boulder, Colorado, Goucher spoke with Runner’s World about the things she learned from finally taking a well-deserved rest.

Be Present to Really Experience Each Moment

In the past, when Goucher ran on trips with her family, she would make many decisions based on the impact the activity would have on her body and its response in training.

But this time, she finally felt like she was able to say yes to every activity without any repercussions. When Colt wanted to walk down to the cove, she happily went with him and didn’t worry about being on her feet for an extended period of time. When Adam and Colt wanted to throw the football around at the pool for a few hours, she joined in and didn’t worry about the sun zapping her energy. She was present and enjoyed every moment.

“I felt like I didn’t miss anything. They didn’t have to tell me about the amazing muffins at breakfast or they didn’t have to tell me about the giant turtle they saw when they got in the ocean,” she said. “I was there and I got to see all of the little things.”

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Running Is Not the Biggest Priority

With each moment spent together as a family, Colt and Adam reminded Kara of how thrilled they were to share the experience with her—which made her think about how they may feel when she sits out for an activity or leaves for a run.

“My family was telling me the whole time how happy they were that I was around. It was really special, and it really was a wakeup call for me,” Goucher said. “I need to kind of re-evaluate how my family feels like my priorities are because they are my priority, but I don’t think that I always make them feel that way.”

Courtesy of Kara Goucher

A Break Will Help You Return Happier

As a result of taking a rest from running, Goucher found that she had more energy during the vacation and when she returned home. In the past, she would return from vacations more tired than when she left because of the stress that came with balancing her time.

“Normally I come back from a trip and I’m exhausted because I’ve been cutting my sleep to get in my runs so that I can be with everybody for the rest of the stuff,” she said.

A Reminder to Have Gratitude

Without the stress of training and with more time to enjoy with her family, Goucher was able to process how grateful she is for her loved ones and for the time they shared together.

“I felt a lot more gratitude for where I was and for the experience I was having. I definitely felt closer to my family,” Goucher said. “I just would not have connected with them the way that I did. I wouldn’t have left with so much gratitude and happiness. We all came back in such good moods and with an appreciation of that trip and how valuable it was in our lives.”

Courtesy of Kara Goucher

You Are More Than a Runner

As much joy as running brings to Goucher’s life, taking a break from the exercise was a welcomed reminder that her identity is more significant than anything she’s ever accomplished in the sport.

“I had the best time of my life and I didn’t run. As much as I love running and it’s such a huge part of my life, I am more than that,” she said. “It’s hard. We get in these cycles of not wanting to take a break because it’s part of our routine, but we deserve to relax.”