Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Tomorrow's Run

Today's workout consisted of the Worst. Run. Ever.

Let's set the scene.  Here in the Greater Detroit Area, we were at record high temps of close to 85 degrees.  It was sunny, clear and all in all, an absolutely beautiful day.

I picked up the kids after school, and they were pumped to get home and ride bikes, play ball and jump in the mini trampoline in the backyard.  Their blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight and wisps of blond hair flittered in the warm afternoon breeze.

I changed into my new Nike running shorts (from Shop It To Me), tied up my shiny new kicks, strapped on my brand spanking new arm band for the IPod, and set out for an EASY 4 mile jaunt.
EEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR....(sound of screeching halt)

Here's where the train wreck of a run starts.  The  first mile was torturous, and for the first time in a long time, I seriously contemplated turning back...even after the - give yourself at least 10 minutes and you'll get into the groove - yeah, didn't happen.  There was NO groove today.

I kept asking myself what was actually wrong, you know, so I could try and think about something else.  But, I couldn't pinpoint the root of my problem.  I just felt bad and wanted to stop!

Then, I started to completely psych myself out.  I have to run 13.1 miles on Sunday, and what if I feel like this then?  What if I want to stop the whole time I'm running the actual race I've been training months for?

At around 3 miles, I stopped to walk.  3 miles, and I was done for.  "Are you kidding me?" I asked myself.  "You are way tougher than this!"  "How are you letting an easy 4 mile run get so under your skin today?"

I mustered up the motivation to run the last bit just under a mile, but I had to totally talk myself into it.

I have no answer for what the heck happened today.  No explanation for why my second to last run of my entire training for this half marathon was so completely crappy.

It could have been the heat that I'm not used to.  It could have been the half a bag of Starburst Jelly Beans I ate today.  It could have been my new shoes, my pony tail was too tight, my shorts were riding a wee bit, my socks were bunching up at the heel...it could have been, it must have been, it should have gone a different way.

Whichever the reason for the bad-ness (and not the MJ kind of Bad), I should never have let it get under my skin so badly.  Lesson learned.

Running just gets in your head.  You can let it totally push you to the limits and go with it, in a good, positive way....OR you can let it totally push you to the limits and it will make you loose your mind!

Sheesh!  I was on it's bad side today...but that just makes me want to get after it that much more!  Running is so cool!

We went for a drive after dinner today, and we went down to the shore of Lake Erie.  There's this little island that I never knew existed...that's going to be my run tomorrow!

When running or working out gets the best of you, do you find it more motivating for the next go around?  




18 comments:

  1. I need to get back into training. I just find it so hard to start. When I trained for my marathon I definitely had days like the one you had today. I think it was the miles just adding up. I'm sure you'll be back to normal tomorrow. Just get the playlist set to something that really amps you up. Good luck!

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    1. I'm revamping the playlist tonight for sure! Thanks!! :-)

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  2. We all have those runs. I'll bet it was the heat affecting you. Shake it off; shake it off! :)

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    1. I hope so! It's supposed to be much cooler tomorrow...that's good!

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  3. The same thing happened to me last Friday- I could barely run/walk 3 miles..... But I had a great 7 mile run on Sunday! I am sure the heat got to you. Good luck this weekend.

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  4. The same thing happened to me last Friday- I could barely run/walk 3 miles..... But I had a great 7 mile run on Sunday! I am sure the heat got to you. Good luck this weekend.

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  5. The same thing happened to me last Friday- I could barely run/walk 3 miles..... But I had a great 7 mile run on Sunday! I am sure the heat got to you. Good luck this weekend.

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  6. The same thing happened to me last Friday- I could barely run/walk 3 miles..... But I had a great 7 mile run on Sunday! I am sure the heat got to you. Good luck this weekend.

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  7. I've been doing Insanity for a month and found myself this week not wanting to do it - especially since I have not lost a single pound all month. I know it's hard work and muscle weighs more than fat but It just does not want to keep me motivated.

    I would love to run but my body gets so tired.

    Follow me on both of my blogs as well - my interior design blog at www.kgstyleblogs.com and my Fitness one - ichangetransformation.blogspot.com

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    1. Keep at it for sure! Results are happening, even if you can't see them right away! It will come...stick with it!!

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  8. Following you from the hop! Hmmm...do you have pollen in your area? It is the pits in the South. Could have kept you from getting in the zone. Breathing and all that!
    http://www.gbedwright.blogspot.com/

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    1. We have pollen galore! That could definitely be part of it!

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  9. I love running too! Not fast enough to win a race but I've been running for good causes e.g. NatGeo (National Geographic) Run for Earth.
    Keep it up :D
    Hopping from "Finding New Friends".

    Have a great weekend!

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    1. Oh, there's no way I'll come close to winning, but I love it anyway! Where is the Nat Geo? Sound awesome!

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  10. I'm always amazed by your dedication in the first place, 3 miles or 4. On a totally different note, I saw that you have the Insanity workout in your sidebar. Have you done P90x too? Which do you like better? I've done P90 twice and I need something different. I'm also totally not a runner so was thinking of doing couch to 5k. Help!!

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    1. I like them both. I think I like Insanity more though. Maybe because it's a faster pace, and Shaun T is more In Your Face. I've heard really great things about the Brazil Butt Lift too. It's total body sculpting.
      The couch to 5K is good! It does what it says.
      Email me: mabulous78@yahoo.com or Facebook if you have any more/specific questions!!

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