What is it about the middle of a run that makes me want to quit?
At the beginning, I’m euphoric: Yay! I’m running. Good for me! I’m getting out and getting some exercise! Woohoo! I’m kicking butt!
Ten minutes later: This sucks. I suck. Why is this TAKING so LONG? I can’t believe I’m going to have to do this for 13.1 miles this weekend. Ugh.
And, then afterward: Thank goodness that’s over. Hey, now I can eat another piece of banana bread!
There must be some chemical in a runner’s brain that erases the memory of the hard, painful, unfun (is that a word?) parts of running. Like moms and childbirth.
I ran during my lunch hour today. I almost didn’t go, which is why I texted Mel (you might have heard of her, Tall Mom on the Run) and admitted that. She agreed it looked totally gross outside, but she said she was going to go anyway. Darn it!
So I went. It was like running through ocean spray. I was instantly wet, which led me to wonder why I bothered to put makeup on or even blow dry my hair at 5:30 this morning. I could’ve slept in!
I wore my new Adidas tighty tight capris that I got for $10 at TJ Maxx a couple of weeks ago. I love the graphite color and the length; they end just below my knees exposing the best part of my legs in my opinion — my calves. The capris were okay. They don’t have the quick-drying ability like my long, black tights and I started to feel some rubbing in the thigh area at the end of my 3-miler, so I think they will be for short runs only.
I know I ran three miles today because I was careful to take the exact same route I took with Mel on our run last week. This time I stopped real quick a few times to take pictures of the cool wooden pathway over the marshy area. See?
I left at 11:41 a.m. according to my phone and I took it out again when I was done and checked: 12:12. I made a mental note to figure out how much time that was. Yes, I am that bad at math. Ask Zoë. Anyway, then I ran up the stairs to my desk to retrieve my day clothes, threw a frozen pizza in the microwave and went into the ladies room to change.
I took a quick picture in there so you could see my capris. I was going to take one of my hair after I removed my hat because I had total ’80s bangs for some reason, but I just knew someone would walk in and think I was nuts. I’d already taken too much time.
Back at my desk, I ate my pizza and got back to work. It wasn’t until about an hour later that I remembered to do my math problem. I scribbled on my work to-do list and my heart did a little dance of joy: 31 minutes! Oh my! That’s a 10:33 mile!
But it’s not. Not according to my mathamatically inclined self-proclaimed geek of a husband. Nope. (And after a little arguing and me saying, “But that’s too fast,” I finally believed him. Although, now I’m second-guessing Mel’s Garmin on whether or not that route is actually three miles.)
Three miles in 31 minutes is a 10:20 mile! Dude! Woohoo!
Makes me want to go running.
12 comments
Yay you for running during your lunch break. Yeah, I am math challenged and that's one of the reasons a bought a Garmin. You need to ask Santa for one 😉
Oh I have, Lisa. I have! I've been good all year, too!
sounds like the endorphins totally kick in! i think it's what keeps me running too 🙂 I enjoy running at lunch, totally helps break up the day!
Heck yes, Kerri! 10:20 mile! Sweet! Loving those capris of yours too. Great job getting out there today. 🙂
I would do that, the faster I would run, the more I wanted to run!I think I might start trying this running at work at lunch thing. It is finally cooler outside here in Raleigh, and I would like to get it over with. I signed up for my second half, and it's in February…!
My Garmin has been a great running tool (even though it looks massive on my wrist, you get used to it). I used to not run with anything and it was frustrating a bit when I couldn't figure anything out in terms of time, and using the microwave clock as my measuring tool. Then again, I only ran like two miles at that time. If Santa gets you one, that's one thing, but if you can invest some time to see what features you want the most and matter the most, you can get the one that best fits your needs. I want to upgrade because mine can't upload stuff to my computer for instance nor does it measure heart rates, and those are two things I think can be very useful. But what I have now works just fine.And I feel like you do quite often during runs, where I just want them over and wonder why I'm bothering. It's usually during the shorter runs I've noticed. During the long runs I'm usually fine mentally. You'd think it'd be the other way around. Go figure.10:20 rules!
Thanks you guys! And thanks for the advice on the Garmin, LB. Definitely some things to consider. Also, like you, I only feel this way on short runs, too. I wonder why that is.
Oh don't question the Garmin…them are fighting words!! LOL..Thanks for the photo of the path, I am TOTALLY stealing it..It was like Ocean Spray Man!! Can you say WET!Way to go buddy and cute capris..
Y-A-Y for:- running w/ a bloggy friend 🙂 – an awesome pace! sub 11:00 rocsks!- snapping pics for the rest of us to experience your run.. thanks! fun! and the trail looks beautiful!!- lots of feedback on the Garmin.. I'm keeping notes on what everybody says about that darn little thing (research!)- time to run during lunch & cool temps – workout clothes at a discount $$ (always looking for a bargain!) Not-so-yay:- Ocean Spray conditions.. yuck!- MATH(!) Okay, that's just a personal challenge… ha ha!And yes, I find myself doing the mental talk thing a lot, especially before long runs on Sunday. I'm starting to feel hesitant b/c my distance is increasing. I know I have to work through this, and once I finish, life is good. Thanks for sharing! Happy Turkey Day!Hugs from Orlando,r.
P.S. GOOD LUCK on your upcoming 1/2 this weekend… you will totally rock it, and I'll send a shout-out your way later today over on the Turtles blog. Do us proud! Will be looking for your race report next week. 🙂 r.
Congrats on getting out there even when your brain didn't want to! I totally have those moments. But always feel great afterwards. New follower here, I look forward to getting caught up!
Thanks everyone! And thanks for stopping by Tricia!