Had a GREAT short run at the beach this week, speaking of, with a 5-miler around the Loop twice (I know... with such great resources like MapMyRun, I really should get more creative). I think it was one of the best short runs I've ever had, and I'm recording it for when runs are really hard and I want to remember that feeling (or at least know that I can have them!!!).
I've decided I definitely want to keep running fairly often when this half is over. (That is, more than I was before.) The last two miles of those five actually felt the best, and I NEVER want to lose that! I had hit my stride and was really moving (at least in my mind I was!), and it felt like I might as well have been floating. I wasn't exhausted or counting the minutes until it was over. I was loving it.
Running is such a pure way to get that feeling. Imagine way back when, a long time ago, when gyms and equipment didn't exist, and people were simply on their own two feet all the time. That's how they were always in shape—they didn't require anything else to be fit; it was their only choice and a part of life. I absolutely love the fact that I can get out there and just go. Nothing necessary but enough land, pavement, or trail. Running makes me feel strong PLUS gives you that cardio endurance—and it's all purely from your own body propelling itself. (Not saying distance running isn't somewhat "high risk, high reward"—Insanity, too, which is what I was doing before training. How do I stumble into these things again, haha!) But add to that simply being outside, not in a gym, and it really does make an all-natural experience all the way around. I have gotten to an unfamiliar place suddenly, without even realizing it. It has totally slipped up on me...
I enjoy running.
At the core of what it is and how I feel while I'm doing it, despite the fact that it's not always easy (and, to some degree, because of it), I actually look forward to it and, dumbfoundedly, enjoy it. Enjoy it! Enjoy!?!?!? Yep, I guess you could say I never thought I'd say that.
Precisely the reason I was so put out with myself for sleeping through my alarm today... AUGHHH! I woke up on my own to see an incredulous "7:00" on my clock and could not believe it. What in the world happened?! I never even heard my alarm or remember turning it off (if that's what happened). I missed getting up and running at 5:30, AND I missed it. Both ways you can interpret that. So with that happening, plus Valentine's Day this week, plus taking an extra day off on Monday after those 9+ on Saturday (thinking I'd surely still get in 2-3 short runs this week), I have ended up getting in only ONE short run this week before tomorrow's 10-mile long run. Oh no. :-/ (Valentine's Day was great, by the way; no complaints about that. :))
I guess you just have to realize that life happens, and you're not always going to have the perfect week for setting up the next big objective on your list. In fact, for once I am actually not as worried about reaching the next mileage. I ran almost that far last weekend, and even with only one short run this week, it was that amazing 5-miler that I enjoyed so much... So why should I let an imperfect week steal my joy???
You can still pray for those 10, though. :) I'm going to be doing them... by myself. GULP. I'm missing the group run on Saturday for being out of town, so I'm making them up tomorrow instead. Funny how the tables have turned, and I actually prefer running with others now. You could say that this is most often true with a long run. So, I'm tweaking the longer of my running playlists on my iPhone and already gearing up in my mind that it can be done. It will be interesting, that's for sure. But yet another personal record—yeahhh!
Maybe I'll just think that I get to have another amazing 5 miles—twice. It's all about perspective. :)
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