Long Run Recap

Sunday I ran 9 miles. It wasn't too bad. Not as bad as last weeks 8 miles so that is a good sign. It pretty much sums up the run though, when at mile 4.23 I felt something hit my leg and I thought "Oooh! I think my shoelace is untied!! Better stop" then I looked and it wasn't and thought "Oh :( Guess not. All right, I'll keep going". My legs have just been getting so tired on the trip towards the end. Maybe I need to keep shifting the pace so they can try something new.

Are runners arrogant trail hogs who think everyone should yield to them? I am. I was having an issue early on with walkers talking up the whole trail in groups of 3 and 4. I don't care if you are running sprints or crawling on your knees, be considerate of other people on the trail and move. Ok, but the actuality is my complaining on my blog and thinking negative thoughts in my head isn't going to make other people more or less thoughtful. I'm even willing to admit that I may be wrong. Maybe I should be going around them. Although this generally takes more effort and I realize I am running, but I'm all about using as little effort as possible.

Revelation hit at that moment. I'm telling myself all kinds of positive thoughts during the run, but thinking negatively about the people on the path who won't move. Who was that possibly going to help? Negative is negative and if I'm going to be enjoying and completing the run I have to enjoy every bit of it and that means NO NEGATIVITY. None. Enjoy it and be grateful that the day was given to you or be a complainer. It was a BEAUTIFULLY perfect day. There were tons of people out enjoying the weather. I saw this adorable 2-3 year old girl running/waddling next to her dad (so cute!!) all determined with her little hands balled into fists swinging her arms wildly back and forth.

So I think, thank God I'm able to exercise today and enjoy this. Thanks for the wind to provide resistance and make me stronger, thanks for the hills too. Thanks for the time to think about my fiance and how much I love that we are both into running. It's what we do. And I thought about my friends who think I'm a runner. When I started to walk at an unscheduled break I thought, The Fab 5 thinks your a runner. They think you can do it, why can't you? I can.

It was a good run then. Lots of positive thoughts once I realized this was the better way to go. I even ran 9.16 miles instead of 9. Big harry deal I know, but the point is I didn't HAVE to run that extra .16. Finally starting to feel good about running. It's scary how much your mind can slip when you break routine for even a few weeks!!