I had a fabulous run with Ed (Mr. Ultra-training beast) at Maybury State Park. It was an uncomplicated 3.5 trail run through familiar territory (well, more familiar for him). What a perfect day for running it was! The skies were fresh and expansive. There weren't many other people crowding the route. The trees are just beginning to think about a summer coat, and so the sun could drip down in plenty of wide, unobstructed spaces.Well I know the run we had wasn't any crazy feat for him, and that's okay. I tell myself though that 3.5 miles with him (even as he crawls at my pace) is akin to me doing 5 miles on my own. HA! And when I tell myself that, I feel very good for accomplishing a run with him.
In fact, I felt great. I felt happy with myself because part of me didn't even want to run at all. That sun I was talking about---it felt so good coming through my car window on the way over that I started feeling drowsy and lazy. Plus, my legs were still tight from working out the other day (damn those sumo squats with weights). However, in the face of those obstacles (and the 30 other ones I won't bore you by listing), I still went out and pushed myself and I know I am better for it.
That's what the non-exercisers are missing out on: the swelling feelings of accomplishment that accompany a goal achieved. How sad to go through life missing out on that. You go home, maybe you walk your dog, maybe you watch some tv or read a book but you never push youself and you suffer for that. I believe you really do. The thing is there are a lot of healthy behaviors that people don't get excited about: the time it takes to prepare a salad, the courage it takes to cut off a bad habit, the stamina it takes to run your first 3 miles, etc. There is this misconception that healthy people are different somehow, that we got lucky with a crazy gene. I don't think we are any different. Well, to an extent. Maybe we just love feeling proud and feeling happy and we learn to thrive on that...because, yep, we know that it's good for us.
3 comments:
Thanks Alexandra, I really enjoyed it too!
Ed
Sunday we came back from a weekend visit at my parents' in Ohio. I was supposed to do a ten-mile training run that day. It had been raining all day but when we got home it was sunny and mostly warm, so I decided to hit the road and do my run. I didn't know if I would do the whole thing. I had the whole list of reasons: it was already 6:30pm, I was tired, blah blah blah...but I laced up my shoes and went out anyway. And a funny thing happened...I got warmed up, I started looking around, and I found I was really enjoying myself. The miles just slipped away. I circled through the countryside and when I came back into downtown I had done eight miles. I thought to myself, "I'm so close...if I just run down to this certain road and then back I can get those last two miles in and do the full thing." So that's what I did. After I'd done eight miles, what's two more on the sidewalks of the town I love? I finished my run flush with both sweat and a sense of accomplishment. I hadn't wimped out and cut my run short. I went the distance and even did it at my target half marathon pace, which wasn't even my intent. I managed to refrain from peeking at my Garmin the whole time. I just ran to feel comfortable.
Good stuff Sarah; it's funny (to me anyway) that some days just completely click, and others you can't buy an easy mile. I wish I could figure out what makes the difference; is it diet? Sleep? What TV show you watched the day before? I don't know, but the good days are awsome, and it sounds like that's what you had. Sometimes for me half the "inspiration" to get out the door is hope that my day will be like that. Good job to you! :)
Fellow Garmin user,
Ed
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