I am the queen of excuses, let me tell you. I have gotten worse about the excuses as the years go by. When I first began to run, I would pretty much run whenever and wherever. I did establish a routine for my longer runs, but for shorter runs, I just kinda did whatever.
Here is my routine for long runs:
Day before: Drink lots of water, don't eat anything greasy, no alcohol, lots of sleep
Day of: Half a power bar before the run with water, nothing else in my stomach, start early (8 am at the latest).
For my shorter runs, I would usually run after school or before work if I was working nights. Keeping in mind that I lived in Vancouver back then, so most of the time it was raining or cloudy and heat was not usually a problem. Moving to Texas made things a bit more difficult since I HATE THE HEAT. I especially hate running in the heat. In Texas, for 9 months out of the year, I was only physically capable of running before 8 am. So I became a little more rigid in the timing of my runs. If I wasn't up and out before 8, it was highly unlikely that I could convince myself to run. In addition to my heat restrictions, when I started training for the half marathon, I became afraid of longer distances. Like I would try to think of any reason I could to avoid those long runs (over 7 miles). Thankfully, I had both my running group and Jenni to be accountable to, so I usually was able to get out there and do it. I remember specifically, my first 10 mile run - also known as the BEST. RUN. EVER.- when it was thundering and raining. Before the run began, the run leader said we would not go if there was any lightning during our warm up. And boy did I ever wish for some lightning. In the end though, I went and it was awesome. I have many examples like this where I was trying to make excuses not to run, but once I started (or at least once I was finished) was so happy that I had gone through with it. You would think I would be able to use these past experiences to encourage myself to run when I don't want to. That is not the case.
Now that I am on my own over here in NB, I am finding that I make more and more excuses not to run, regardless of the length of the run. They include the following.
I drank a beer last night.
I had two glasses of wine last night.
I slept in and don't have time because I really should be doing some unspecified work.
I didn't drink enough water yesterday.
I ate too many chips yesterday, and feel gross.
I am hungry.
It is too hot.
I do not feel well for some unspecified reason.
I can't run two days in a row.
I have also convinced myself that I MUST run first thing in the morning. If something is off in the morning and I don't run first thing, I assume that I cannot go until the next day.
It is getting ridiculous.
Today I slept in until 11! That never happens. Of course when I woke up, I immediately knew that my 6 mile run was not going to happen, especially with this heat wave we are having. Then I talked to Jenni and she was going to run in Texas at 9 am, which is crazy, so I figured that I could at least go for a short run. I was really hungry, but Jenni convinced me that I could just eat AFTER my short run. I got all ready to go, walked out the door and then D suggested we go grocery shopping because he was starving. I decided that since we were both hungry, it made sense not to run, so I went back in, changed, and left for grocery shopping.
In the meantime, Jenni was out having a tough run, and reassuring herself that at least I was suffering too. When I got home and confessed to Jenni that I had not run, I felt like a total loser. I mean, there is no reason why D couldn't have waited 45 minutes for me to have a 30 minute run and a 15 minute shower. If I had suggested it, he would have totally agreed. I was just making excuses.
Jenni suggested that I just go for a run then. Well, of course, I couldn't go for a run then! It hadn't been 3 hours since I had last ate! There are rules!
But then I thought about it. I hadn't really eaten much, and it wasn't like I needed to run 6 miles, so why didn't I just go. I could always just quit if I got a cramp or got dizzy and nauseous (which is what usually happens if I don't wait 3 hours after eating to run). What a brilliant idea! I could just start, and if it sucked, I could stop. Thank you Jenni! Why had I never thought of that before?
So, I went out and did my run only 2 hours after eating lunch. And guess what? I survived! Even better, I liked it! I am going to try to remember this the next time I start making excuses.
I still didn't do my planned 6 mile run, but now I am thinking I will go do it on the trails at the beach on Monday since D has to go to Shediac for a meeting in the morning. What a brilliant idea!!
Distance: approx 2 miles on trails.
Lessons learned: I can just stop running if I feel shitty.
Song that rocked my run: Don't Stop by Brazillian Girls
Showing posts with label attitude adjustment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label attitude adjustment. Show all posts
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Saved by the blog, again!
The fates were conspiring against me, my friends. I declared that I would run, and at about 1 pm, I decided to put that declaration into action. Unfortunately, the universe had other ideas.
First, I couldn't find my Janestrap, which is a vital component of my running attire. I was pretty sure I had put it in the wash after my last run, but it was not hanging with my sports bras, nor did I see it when I put away my clothes that went in the dryer. It is a strange article of clothing, so I thought maybe it got jammed in the washing machine or something. There was no sign of it in or around the laundry area, though. Hmmm. Closet? Nope. Exercise clothes drawer? Nope. Laundry basket? Nope. After about 20 minutes of looking, I gave up. I hate to run without it, but I did just that for the first 8 years of my running career, so I figured I could survive.
Then I went downstairs only to find that my inhaler was clogged. I have exercise-induced asthma, so I have to use an inhaler before I exercise. I started a search for some sort of needle that could fit into the tiny little inhaler hole. I couldn't find one, so I just rinsed it out repeatedly and jammed a paper towel down around the little hole. Somehow that did the trick.
Next stop was finding my iPod. I remembered taking it out before my last attempted run, so now the question was, where did I leave it? I looked all over the house and couldn't find it. As a last resort, I looked in the drawer where it was supposed to be stored, and wouldn't you know it, there it was! Apparently I have been taking my commitment to keeping things organized seriously. I will have to remember that for next time.
Then I went out to the snugly (is this word really spelled with only one 'g'?), warm garage to tell the boy that I was leaving. This swayed my resolve somewhat because here were my two choices:
Rainy, crappy day:
Or cozy, rocking-chair-by-the-fire garage:
But I was strong, my friends. I knew once I started running in the rain, my favorite type of running, I would be happy. I headed out of the garage and was pelted quite hard in the face by some fat rain. This caused me to turn around, head back into the garage, and declare, "Forget it. I will go tomorrow." Then I sat down on a stool by the fire, quite pleased with my decision.
But then I remembered that I had declared to the internet that I would run today, and I couldn't bear another failure in front of the internet. So finally at about 3 pm, a full two hours after I began this running attempt, I picked myself up, walked out the door and just started running.
It was glorious. I loved it completely and didn't hate it at all. Even when I had to run through a shin-deep lake-puddle on the trail, I was happy to do it. It was reminiscent of my BEST RUN EVER which was also my first 10-mile run that Jenni and I and our Austin Fit running group did in the rain around the Town Lake Trail in Austin. When I got back to my house, I even did drills. In the rain! I am so proud of me.
Distance: approx 4 miles on pavement, dirt trails and wooden bridges.
Lessons learned: I really love running in the rain
Song that rocked my run: The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
First, I couldn't find my Janestrap, which is a vital component of my running attire. I was pretty sure I had put it in the wash after my last run, but it was not hanging with my sports bras, nor did I see it when I put away my clothes that went in the dryer. It is a strange article of clothing, so I thought maybe it got jammed in the washing machine or something. There was no sign of it in or around the laundry area, though. Hmmm. Closet? Nope. Exercise clothes drawer? Nope. Laundry basket? Nope. After about 20 minutes of looking, I gave up. I hate to run without it, but I did just that for the first 8 years of my running career, so I figured I could survive.
Then I went downstairs only to find that my inhaler was clogged. I have exercise-induced asthma, so I have to use an inhaler before I exercise. I started a search for some sort of needle that could fit into the tiny little inhaler hole. I couldn't find one, so I just rinsed it out repeatedly and jammed a paper towel down around the little hole. Somehow that did the trick.
Next stop was finding my iPod. I remembered taking it out before my last attempted run, so now the question was, where did I leave it? I looked all over the house and couldn't find it. As a last resort, I looked in the drawer where it was supposed to be stored, and wouldn't you know it, there it was! Apparently I have been taking my commitment to keeping things organized seriously. I will have to remember that for next time.
Then I went out to the snugly (is this word really spelled with only one 'g'?), warm garage to tell the boy that I was leaving. This swayed my resolve somewhat because here were my two choices:
Rainy, crappy day:
Or cozy, rocking-chair-by-the-fire garage:
But I was strong, my friends. I knew once I started running in the rain, my favorite type of running, I would be happy. I headed out of the garage and was pelted quite hard in the face by some fat rain. This caused me to turn around, head back into the garage, and declare, "Forget it. I will go tomorrow." Then I sat down on a stool by the fire, quite pleased with my decision.
But then I remembered that I had declared to the internet that I would run today, and I couldn't bear another failure in front of the internet. So finally at about 3 pm, a full two hours after I began this running attempt, I picked myself up, walked out the door and just started running.
It was glorious. I loved it completely and didn't hate it at all. Even when I had to run through a shin-deep lake-puddle on the trail, I was happy to do it. It was reminiscent of my BEST RUN EVER which was also my first 10-mile run that Jenni and I and our Austin Fit running group did in the rain around the Town Lake Trail in Austin. When I got back to my house, I even did drills. In the rain! I am so proud of me.
Distance: approx 4 miles on pavement, dirt trails and wooden bridges.
Lessons learned: I really love running in the rain
Song that rocked my run: The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Second Sackville Run = Success
Wow, my run was definitely not as zen as Jenni's today, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. After reading Jenni's thoughts on running for the sake of running and being in the moment, I can only imagine that my next run will be even better.
Today I tackled the same 2.6 miles from Friday, but at a cooler temperature and and a better level of hydration. On average it was definitely better than my first Sackville run. At first as I was running up and down the rolling hills I thought that I would definitely not want to run back up and down the same hills. These are not very motivating thoughts to have while running. There is a reason I generally avoid hills like the plague - I hate them. If Jenni would have been with me, she would have said something like, "We got this!" or "Don't look at the hill, just look at the ground." It is not nearly as convincing when I tell myself. Soon enough though, I got into the running zone and barely noticed the hills. I finished in a reasonable time and felt grrrrreat! For the rest of the day, I was feeling a little less great. Another reason why I generally avoid hills is because they give me shin splints. After my bad run the other day, I had mild shin splints. After my run today I had such bad shin splints that I could barely walk. My next run will definitely be on a flat surface!
My plan is to do 4 flat miles on a trail on Tuesday. Now that I have announced it publicly, I will have to do it.
Next time I do my 2.6 mile run though, I am definitely bringing a camera. There are sheep and cows and tractors and everything along the route. Ridiculous. I live in the boonies.
Today's summary
Distance: 2.6 miles, mostly pavement
Lessons learned: Hills suck especially when you are out of shape
Song that rocked my run: Private Idaho - The B52s
Today I tackled the same 2.6 miles from Friday, but at a cooler temperature and and a better level of hydration. On average it was definitely better than my first Sackville run. At first as I was running up and down the rolling hills I thought that I would definitely not want to run back up and down the same hills. These are not very motivating thoughts to have while running. There is a reason I generally avoid hills like the plague - I hate them. If Jenni would have been with me, she would have said something like, "We got this!" or "Don't look at the hill, just look at the ground." It is not nearly as convincing when I tell myself. Soon enough though, I got into the running zone and barely noticed the hills. I finished in a reasonable time and felt grrrrreat! For the rest of the day, I was feeling a little less great. Another reason why I generally avoid hills is because they give me shin splints. After my bad run the other day, I had mild shin splints. After my run today I had such bad shin splints that I could barely walk. My next run will definitely be on a flat surface!
My plan is to do 4 flat miles on a trail on Tuesday. Now that I have announced it publicly, I will have to do it.
Next time I do my 2.6 mile run though, I am definitely bringing a camera. There are sheep and cows and tractors and everything along the route. Ridiculous. I live in the boonies.
Today's summary
Distance: 2.6 miles, mostly pavement
Lessons learned: Hills suck especially when you are out of shape
Song that rocked my run: Private Idaho - The B52s
Running Rewind
I did it! I got up this morning at 6:45, and I headed down to Town Lake, and I set out on a 5 mile run. When I got to Town Lake, I parked at TxDot - homebase for many weekend runners. The loop heading west (from Congress to Mopac) is 5 miles. And the entire loop is 10 miles (from Mopac to the Longhorn Dam), so I was faced with the first decision of the morning. West, or East? West is the more familiar run. East is prettier. West has many more runners/bikers/dogs. East is quieter. So, East I went.
I consistently missed my mark for the first 24 minutes, running 5.5/1.5's instead of the planned 6/1's. It was around this time that I started reflecting on what running has become for me. It's a lot of numbers. Tracking miles, and minutes, and minutes per miles, and walk breaks. It's a constant battle of trying to one-up myself. And while there is nothing wrong with wanting to get better, I think I've lost sight of the big picture. I never started this to become some elite runner. I'm never going to win any prize for being a running phenom. The fact that I run should be the point. I think my closest friends and family are still waiting for this running phase to end. And I'm continually shocked that there are people who only know me as a "runner".
So, I let go of the watch. I stopped tracking minutes and miles. I started thinking about all the positive things. I'm healthy and I live in a place that is safe and beautiful and full of a community of people who are passionate about running. I was up early, and out running. And, in a short-ish amount of time (2 years) I've had some wonderful running accomplishments - 3 half marathons, 4 10Ks, one of them part of a team triathlon, a 12-person 200-mile relay, and some of the greatest running buddies I've found (here's looking at you LDH, R'OD, Boston T.Pod).
I gave myself a break for the rest of the run - I walked when I was tired. I stopped for water when I was hot. I ran slower when I needed to. And while I was fighting with two annoying problems (poison ivy on my neck that made me want to DIE, and the headphone issue that really needs solving), the rest of my run was delightful.
And when I finished, I remembered something that my Yoga instructor always says, "Remember, that where you are is exactly where you are supposed to be". It was not the fastest of runs, but why did it need to be? I haven't run in a while, I don't have a race coming up, I haven't been eating as a runner, I haven't been hydrating. It was just the attitude adjustment I needed.
In the end, turned out to be 6 miles! Gold star for 6 miles!
I consistently missed my mark for the first 24 minutes, running 5.5/1.5's instead of the planned 6/1's. It was around this time that I started reflecting on what running has become for me. It's a lot of numbers. Tracking miles, and minutes, and minutes per miles, and walk breaks. It's a constant battle of trying to one-up myself. And while there is nothing wrong with wanting to get better, I think I've lost sight of the big picture. I never started this to become some elite runner. I'm never going to win any prize for being a running phenom. The fact that I run should be the point. I think my closest friends and family are still waiting for this running phase to end. And I'm continually shocked that there are people who only know me as a "runner".
So, I let go of the watch. I stopped tracking minutes and miles. I started thinking about all the positive things. I'm healthy and I live in a place that is safe and beautiful and full of a community of people who are passionate about running. I was up early, and out running. And, in a short-ish amount of time (2 years) I've had some wonderful running accomplishments - 3 half marathons, 4 10Ks, one of them part of a team triathlon, a 12-person 200-mile relay, and some of the greatest running buddies I've found (here's looking at you LDH, R'OD, Boston T.Pod).
I gave myself a break for the rest of the run - I walked when I was tired. I stopped for water when I was hot. I ran slower when I needed to. And while I was fighting with two annoying problems (poison ivy on my neck that made me want to DIE, and the headphone issue that really needs solving), the rest of my run was delightful.
And when I finished, I remembered something that my Yoga instructor always says, "Remember, that where you are is exactly where you are supposed to be". It was not the fastest of runs, but why did it need to be? I haven't run in a while, I don't have a race coming up, I haven't been eating as a runner, I haven't been hydrating. It was just the attitude adjustment I needed.
In the end, turned out to be 6 miles! Gold star for 6 miles!
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