Well folks, if
Tuesday's run was the BEST of my training runs so far for my
upcoming half-marathon, this morning's run definitely wins the prize for the absolute WORST. Seriously, this run sucked. There is no other way to describe it.
I've had bad runs before, but I almost NEVER quit early. Today I did. I had 5 miles on the schedule, and even the 3 I hobbled through were a struggle. I was tired, it was hot, there was no shade, and my legs were in pain pain pain. I've been working on strengthening my legs with a physical therapist to help with my nagging
IT band issues, and the result so far has been that muscles I didn't even know I HAD are killing me. Yesterday and today it's the piriformis that's been killing me, aka the muscles deep in the hip and butt...TMI? Sorry! Hopefully this is just a temporary side effect of strengthening my legs and preventing future injury...
But, all of that aside, the real problem with today's 5-miles-that-wasn't was this: remember that mental game I talked about Tuesday? The positive attitude and confidence that have been leading me to ROCK my runs lately? Yeah it must have slept in today while I dragged my tired self out of bed and out onto the trail, because there wasn't much running through my head that was positive. More than ever I believe that running is maybe 95% mental, and today my head just wasn't in the game.
I met a friend after the run to
engage in intelligent conversation watch Secret Life of the American Teenager, and she commented that I look so in shape and fit and healthy lately. It reminded me that this one negative run does NOT negate all of the fantastic runs I've had these past few weeks or mean that I am somehow going to lose the endurance I've been working to build up. Because she's right--I'm probably in the best shape of my whole life right now, and today's run is just one run. Tomorrow is another day. :)
What do you do or tell yourself when you have "one of those" running days?
Besides a lot of positive self-talk, on days like this I like to go back and read old posts of some of my favorite or best runs to remind myself that I have done this before and I can do it again. :)
Oh, my friend. Those runs happen. We all have them. Here's to a POSITIVE run this weekend!
ReplyDeleteThose are hard. Sometimes when I am out running and everything about it seems miserable I wonder to myself what I am doing this for. I have to just tell myself that next run will be better and that it's okay to have a bad day every once in a while.
ReplyDeleteGoing back and reading the positive posts is a great idea! Next run will be awesome!
I am sorry your run was not the same! It is so tough to take those in but you should save your post from yesterday for easy access. seriously. that post was SO inspiring for me and I was so appreciative that you shared it with us! I LOVED IT! I was actually glad you mentioned the piriformis because I have similar pain sometime and I always just associate it with my IT but sometimes it is the same way...deep in my hip and butt. but it is not all the time. at least I can give it a name now. ha! hoping your next run is just awesome!
ReplyDeleteSorry about your bad run - good attitude, though, tomorrow IS another day!!
ReplyDeleteWe ALL have those terrible, miserable runs! I HATE them! Last Saturday I ran 4 miles somehow after doing a Body Combat class for the first time the day before. It was AWFUL. It was the slowest 5K I had ever done.
ReplyDeleteHope your next run is more encouraging!