This week, I was back up and running again, now that my foot is healed. Our weather has turned colder and more gray, which is making running much more difficult. My plans called for 2,3,2,3 in terms of mileage, which isn't bad. I just did not want to drag my butt out of the door--at least for these three runs. I did my first three mile run of the week on Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving), and it was in the 40s and raining. It took just about every ounce of me to get out there and get that run done. I even had an errand that I had to do, and the chilly weather and rain didn't make that thought any better. But, the errand did have to be done, so I could only put it off for so long.Wh
So, I decided that the run was just going to be a case of, "Suck it up, Buttercup," and just get it out of the way. I dressed in my running leggings, a lightweight long sleeve running top, and a fleece jacket (I don't have a waterproof running jacket). It wasn't raining hard at the time, so I decided to get it over and done with. Once outside, I had to give myself some pep-talks...."Come on, a little rain never hurt. You got this. Think about your buddy. Your buddy has it rougher than you. Alright now, keep going. Us runners are tough. You get bad@$$ points for running in this. The sooner we get this done, the sooner you cango back inside and take a hot shower..."
Funny enough, that run ended up being a good run! The three miles didn't really feel like 3 miles. I did make the brief stop for my errand, but I was in and out in about a minute. What was also helpful that I saw another runner, an older gentleman, on my way back. We passed each other, and he told me something along the lines of, "We gotta get these miles in somehow." I responded back, "Hey. We get bad@$$ points for this!" That made him laugh, and made me feel better, knowing that I am strong enough to power through the rest of the run (although, I have to admit, my past two half marathons were WAY more wet, and I FROZE afterwards).
I didn't run on Thanksgiving or the day after, since I decided to spend that time enjoying good food and friends/family. I personally think people should really enjoy food on Thanksgiving, and not really think about calories consumed and all that, unless they have a medical reason. I've seen postings online with stuff like "If you eat two slices of pumpkin pie, then you need to do X amount of miles,"or, "You will need to do this amount of burpees," or, "You will need to do this amount of X workout X times." If I had followed that, I would have had to run 8 miles or something....yeah...not happening there.. I will just sit and enjoy my slices of pumpkin pie, thank you very much. :)
So yesterday my two mile run. This run was slower, and I think it was partially due to all that I ate on Thanksgiving, plus having four slices of pizza from my favorite pizza place in my hometown on Friday probably didn't help that much. However, I have learned of another food that I can't have before a run......cranberry sauce. I was craving it the night before, and I had some leftover cranberries, so I made some up. I ate some of the leftovers during my late morning breakfast (or more likely, brunch, since it was around 11). I did my run a few hours later, and I just feel that stuff not settling well with me. That made me feel really heavy, and kinda tired (maybe too much sugar), and I didn't appreciate having to burp. That was one run that I was glad to get out of the way. In addtion, it was windy, which made my face cold (yet my body was sweating some), and I could feel a lot of tension in my neck, which I'm guessing is partially from the chilly wind, plus it just being a harder run in general. I was just so ready to be done, and was really glad when I hit my two mile mark, and was back home in the warmth. I ended up back home, under the covers, and developed a bit of a headache, which went away as I rested some and showered. The one positive thing (okay, I'm choosing it to be positive) was that there was a car that went by, and honked at me quite a bit, with a bit cheering. I didn't catch who was driving, but I decided to think that they were cheering me on, thinking I was an awesome runner. If I have a tough run or race ahead of me, I might as well have a dose of awesome sauce thrown in, right?
The run today, although I wasn't burping cranberries, was just really tough. I must be running low on my awesome sauce juice or something, as I really wasn't feeling it. I'm not quite sure why the run was so hard. Even my oatmeal didn't seem to give me the energy boost that I normally get. Mentally, I was not wanting to run, but I had to do it. So, this time, I decided on a different direction, just for a change of pace. This direction brought me more into the downtown area and a bit onto campus. I dragged myself out the door, and got going. Again, my energy just didn't feel up par, and mentally, I wanted to be back at home. I was running in my running pants, a long sleeve running top, and a hoodie, so I was warm enough. However, I felt like a turtle trudging through mud. I have no idea what my pace was, as I didn't have my phone on me, but I just couldn't make myself go any faster.
Mentally, I wasn't there either. I about wanted to call it quits when I ran past my block, but I knew I would be mad at myself for not completing the run. I had all of these negative thoughts going through my head about me just dreading being out there, being so slow, feeling some random aches, wondering what if I have to walk in the marathon, how hard this run is, and who knows what else. Yet, the other voice in my head was going, "SHUT UP ALREADY! JUST.SHUT.UP! Think about your buddy. Think of him "running" with you for this last bit. Besides, this whole walking thing, you're already planning on walking through water/aide stops in the marathon if you do it. There's no shame in that. So, just shut up, and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Besides, you're almost done. X street is up ahead, and you'll only have a matter of blocks to go from there." I pictured myself running with my buddy for a bit, which did make the run a slightly bit easier towards the end. Plus, I did manage to run just a wee bit faster (pretending I was heading towards the finish line), but man, I was so glad to be done.
I know that these won't be the last of my tough runs, but I really felt that difference between of me wanting/needing to run (for my sanity), and me needing to run because of this training. It is such a mental game. This makes me wonder on how much tougher mentally the marathon will be if I do it. The physical part is going to be super hard, no doubt about it, but mentally is a whole different race. Yet, at the end of it all, I want it to be 100% worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment