I have developed a “LOVE/HATE” relationship with running. My running shoes are so punk rock – they have tattoos of “love” and “hate” on them (ok, not really). I guess it takes a “Hate” day to realize how wonderful the “Love” days really can be. Here are a few thoughts to help differentiate a Love Day from a Hate Day (like you don’t already know them). Please feel free to comment with a few of your own.
Love Day
* Wake up BEFORE the alarm – ready to rock
* Favorite running gear is clean and ready to go – or even better, have fancy new $15 socks to wear
* No pain – it’s like floating on the sidewalk
* Energy abounds – let's pick up the pace
* Music pumpin'– I love my iPod. Songs play at the perfect time and I'm singin' along
* Solutions to all of my (and the worlds) problems flow easily
* Everyone says “good morning”
* The sun is rising, bringing a beautiful pinkish tint to the sky
* Dolphins are jumping – seriously, I run near the beach so some mornings I actually see schools of dolphins. I KNOW it will be a good day then!
* Wow – I’m done already? That was so fast!
Hate Day
* Hit snooze 3 times, roll out of bed but can’t open eyes
* Only clean running shorts are too small (creep, creep, rub, rub)
* Tank top made of cotton (argh!) with straps that slip off shoulder (double argh!)
* Ouch – every step hurts, reverberating pain from the foot to the hip
* Am. So. Tired. Can’t. Lift. Foot.
* My iPod sucks – who downloaded all this crappy music?
* Stupid headphones keep slipping out of ears
* Argh – it’s too windy – sand keeps blowing in my eyes
* Ohhhh no…… Did I eat Mexican last night?
* It took me HOW long run 5miles? I may as well walked the entire thing.
The Hate Days bring on at least a week of self-doubt. It’s not until I have a few Love Days in a row that I remember why I do this thing called running. Luckily this morning’s 6 mile was definitely a love day (except I didn’t see dolphins and my hips are killing me).
Here’s hoping that the rest of the week and Saturday’s 22-mile run will be Love Days, too!
Show Me The Love!
Running Song of the Day: Fuego by Pitbull
4 comments:
Hey, thanks for stopping by my blog! Love the look of yours... I'll definitely be back.
Other than the baggie for the ibuprofen (still rolling my eyes at myself over that), the one tip I'd offer is one you've heard a dozen times, I'm sure, but one that absolutely should not be ignored: PACE YOURSELF! You'll feel like a million bucks on race morning after tapering, resting and carbo-loading and with adrenaline in tow, you'll want to fly down the first six miles of the course. Do everything you can to keep yourself in check, though. Don't be ultra-conservative, but resist the urge to run as fast as you feel like running. When the last 10K finally comes up, you'll thank yourself for saving some energy to get through it.
If I knew my body could handle running another marathon in four weeks, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I get so excited for first time marathoners... you are about to have the experience of a lifetime.
Good luck!
I can add another one:
Side aching/rebelling for no apparent reason.
uuuuugggghhhh... I hate the "creep, creep, rub, rub" That will ruin my run faster than ANYTHING!
That and the headphones falling out of my ears. I hate earbuds. I have to get the ones that wrap around the whole ear!
Your love day/ hate day cracks me up! Especially about the iPod!!
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