Some days, running is just plain tough. Last week was my easy week where I felt like I barely ran at all. Today, I was supposed to run 13 miles but I didn't realize it until I woke up this morning and checked my run schedule. I worked all weekend on a catering job and usually after I cater I wake up the next day feeling like I was hit by a truck. And this morning was no exception!
So, by the time I got to the YMCA and checked in the four year old, it was already warm and sunny out. I had forgotten Gu or gatorade. I had forgotten my sunscreen. I didn't feel like running indoors on the treadmill for 13 miles.
So I went out on the trail, lamenting the sun exposure and freckles/sun spots appearing on my upper arms. I figured I would just run until I didn't feel like it anymore. Unfortunately, at about 200 yards I didn't feel like it anymore. So I scratched that idea and instead decided to run until I felt I had done a respectable distance. Which is very relative.
At about four miles, I looked up and saw three hawks flying in circles overhead. I wondered what they might be circling...and then the thought hit me..."maybe they are circling me!" After all, at that point I was sweating profusely, dragging my feet, panting and probably looking like a dying animal of some sort. At four miles!
I found a bit of shade and ran in it for as long as I could. It was uphill for about a mile. Ran by some crows sitting on a fence...watching me. I think they had gotten word from the hawks that I would be passing by. I gave them a steely stare as if to say, go find your breakfast somewhere else, punks!
The nice part of the uphill was that I turned around and went downhill for that same mile. Got to the Y again at 7 miles and called it a day. I ate a sugar packet from the coffee cart in the lobby and stretched. Last week I ran the same time but ran 9 miles instead of 7. I don't remember seeing the hawks last week either.
Some days are tough. That is the reality of training for a race as long as 26.2 miles. You just have to shake it off and start again tomorrow, but there is no option to give up. The goal is set and I can't ask Greece to reschedule for another day, or year...(ok well there is always another year but our plane tickets are bought!). Hopefully tomorrow there will be a bit more pep in my step!
What do you do when that happens? Do you proceed on your schedule as though you accomplished your training goal or do you attempt the same run later that week? The following week?
ReplyDeleteDepends. Sometimes I just shake it off and continue on the schedule. Other times I will switch the schedule around - so, if I have a 13 mile, a 7 mile and a 3 mile scheduled for the week and I do 7 instead of 13 on Monday, I might do the 13 the next day and 3 after that. One bad run won't end your fitness...but pushing yourself to do 13 when it only wants to do 7 can lead to injuries or overtraining so sometimes it is better to let yourself have a bad day and move on!
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