I'm still in the beginning stages of getting my routine down, so today I decided to go for my run about 10 minutes after I woke up. From what I've read on various sites and in various books, it doesn't make that much of a difference when you run as long as you do it. I have been trying to wake up, eat something small and then get out on the road about an hour later. But today I ran first.
I did my 3 mile run and it turned out that running right when you get up wasn't so bad as I had imagined. Like I said previously, I feel a little awkward when I run in the morning, kind of clumsy, but that's just me. So, at the start I was feeling goofy, but then I found my groove and my pace and it was really great!
I was thinking as I ran, that a lot of running is just a mental head game with yourself. That's no revelation, most runners will tell you that. But what I find about me is that I get to where I'm running and I start thinking about walking. So today when I found that feeling creeping in, I started thinking about all the reasons why I felt like I should walk? Sometimes, I should walk, but I think I have a tendency to walk more than I really need to. I mean, if I'm listening to my body I should know the difference between what is a feeling that signals it's time to walk and just the voices of defeat trying to talk to me and make me stop.
So, as I was running today, I decided to list reasons why I would stop:
Am I too hot?
Do I need a drink?
Am I breathing too hard?
Is there a piece of lint in my sock that is irritating my foot?
Did I wear the wrong shoes, bra, shorts, t-shirt?
Is there sweat dripping into my eyes?
Do I feel like my muscles are tightening up so I need to stretch?
Is the pavement uneven?
Am I just feeling lazy today?
Do I have a slow song stuck in my head that's bringing me down?
Am I thinking too much about outside issues and not concentrating on the workout?
Am I afraid someone will see me and laugh?
I found that once I started going through that list and trying to figure out why I would stop running and walk, I'd ran a lot further than I had the last time I did it. While some of the things on the list are worth walking for, a good number of them can be remedied by just bringing your concentration back to your running, your pace and just paying attention to what you're doing insted of letting your mind wander.
While I did have to stop because my hip flexors needed a stretch (and that's a good reason for stopping- I don't want any injuries!) I found that I ran way more than I would have if I hadn't tried to figure out what was making me want to stop.
All in all it was a good run and I think I enjoyed it more when I just woke up because it really got me energized and ready for the day!
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3 comments:
I find morning running great because it's an excuse to be clumsy, confused, and have rambling thoughts. You kicked butt listing then resisting on all those reasons to walk. They're not your thoughts. They're bystanders, strangers, politicians, neysayers. Ignore them and they won't join you much longer on your runs. Keep up the good work!
This reminds me a lot of junior high school - many years ago I know - do you remember cross country? Do you remember what I always said to you? NEVER walk - just keep jogging, no matter how slow you are moving, you're still jogging, just don't walk. Oh, and why would people be laughing at you? You're out there doing it while they are bystanders watching. People only critisize what they fear - many people in this world would not even attempt to have the goal of running a marathon!!! So how do those people live life? By critisizing everyone else - it makes them feel powerful. You just keep doing what you're doing. You're doing AWESOME!!!!
“In running, it doesn’t matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack or last. You can say, ‘I have finished.’ There is a lot of satisfaction in that.”—Fred Lebow, founder of the New York City Marathon
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