HHHHIIII! I am happy today! I was afraid that when I woke up, my knee would be in some serious pain from going up and over a huge hilly bridge twice, totaling 6.75 miles (the farthest I have run since the Mardi Gras half in February!) I did wake up in pain….but it was my quads and calves that were SO SORE and not my knee! SCORE! Nevertheless, I am going to stretch and foam roll like crazy. I don’t want to get right back to where I was a couple weeks ago!
As sunshine and rainbows as this post sounds, I have to be honest and say the run almost didn’t happen, and the run itself was hard and miserable. Let’s rewind. A couple days ago I told Bobby I was going to head to the beach Tuesday morning to do a long run. He said he wanted to go too, and for me to wait until that evening. As much as I wanted to get the run over with in the morning, having a running buddy made me decide to wait for him.
Well I had all day to talk myself out of running, and I almost did. When husband got home, I asked if we were running, secretly hoping he would say he was too tired, which he didn’t. Rats. We ate dinner, then I checked the radar….rain. Could have bailed again, but said maybe the rain would cool things off? THEN Bobby wanted to just run around the small neighborhood we live in to which I said no, because I knew I would get bored and not go as far as I wanted. So we got in the car and drove 20 minutes to the nicer beach area and the big bride from THIS POST. The closer we got…the harder it rained. We sat in the car in the parking lot debating what to do…but we forced ourselves out of the car and into the rain.
rain rain go away!
The first two miles it rained on us pretty hard so we kept jokingly referring to ourselves as “hardcore” and any other runners we saw as well. Sloshing through the puddles, we made it back to the car and took a GU and some Gatorade before heading up the bridge. The rain finally stopped, and when we got to the other side it was dark, well…not really, because we were running in front of the brightly lit up casinos along the beach.
We ran a little past the bridges then back up over it. The way back going up the hill was so miserable. I just wanted to be DONE. I was tired, thirsty, and soaking wet. My muscles were aching from the hills, and I desperately wanted to quit, but I kept running. We made it back to the car and called it a day. I wanted to run between 7-8 miles, and we made it 6.75, good enough for my first long run back after injury, and I didn’t want to push it.
On the way home in the car, I told the husband that I was so glad we ran. That I had been dreading the run ALL DAY but now that I was done I had NO regrets. BUT, I know if I hadn’t gone on the run, I would have had a ton of regrets. The saying is so true, you won’t regret running, but you may regret not going. Next time I am dreading a run, I will do my best to remember the feeling of accomplishment I have after I am finished. Maybe it will help me get out the door.
QOTD: How do you psych yourself up to get out the door? Any tricks you can share?
Great job! I love, love, love when I’m dreading a run but then I feel great during and after it. And a huge HOORAY for no knee pain 🙂 Hoping it stays that way!
It’s funny how we have to work at actually getting out the door but never once have I regretted going for a run. I want to know how you stay so cute after a run? I look hideous!
Rambling Heather… I am so with you on this one. How does she stay so cute?? I’m all sweaty and frizzy and all red-faced after my runs. Some people have all the luck!
:oP you too must have missed some of my post workout pics!
haha you are too sweet. Have you not seen some of my yucky sweaty post run pics? lol!
This is too funny that you posted this today, because I was thinking the EXACT same thing last night after a workout! I was whining (to myself, mostly) all day about how I was tired, didn’t feel good, etc… but I went to the gym anyway and had an amazing workout. On my way home I was thinking about how I never regret a workout, but I almost always regret skipping a workout.
Great minds think alike!
great minds do think alike! glad you worked out!
I love those runs that just make you feel so hardcore, you feel completely amazed when you finished…and you’ve got some new swagger 🙂
I think for me motivation is always just thinking about the fact that I am choosing to do it ..I don’t have to run, I get to.
exactly. esp after being injured, I am totally not taking it for granted!
I am a pro at coming up with excuses to not exercise. It’s actually a little pathetic how good I am. But it always feels good to overcome those excuses and actually do it. I think the biggest way i overcome the excuses is to remind myself why I choose to exercise. Short term pain, long term gain!
great tips!
Well done Heather, no matter how you managed to get out there and do it you did and thats what counts!
Lack of motivation is the very reason so many people don’t run. Unfortunately motivation is very personal and what works for one often does not work for another. I have heard people run because, I like the pain, I like the exhilarating feeling it gives me, I feel invigorated afterwards, I love running, etc, etc, etc….. Well, none of those work for me! I don’t particularly like to run. I am a goal orientated person so I run to reach a goal. My motivation is that if I don’t run when I need to I will have failed myself in not doing my best! Sadly this has a downside, once training is broken by injury, family emergency or something unexpected for more than a couple of days I have lost the motivation.
I am currently sitting here after not running now for 16 days due to an injury. I was supposed to be running a marathon in 4 weeks time and I know that I am not going to be fit enough to do that so my maiden marathon is going to have to wait. I have a new motivator, or rather an old one. I have the Adelaide City-Bay 3 weeks after the marathon. Its a 12km fun run that I have been trying to complete in under 60 mins for the last few years since I started running. So, I have to focus on returning to training for that. Careful not to rush back to hard for fear of injuring myself again.
It would be unusual to use the same motivation all the time. New goals can help, goals with different requirements like long distance, short sprints, hills or climate. All these need different training and so can provide a different focus to keep running interested.
I don’t like running but its something I can do and get better at it the more I do it! That’s big for an uncoordinated person like myself that can not achieve in any sports! It brings a different twist on the “I do it because I can” phrase. It doesn’t make it any less true 🙂
If you are interest in following my progress then you are welcome to follow my blog at http://www.pcsa.net.au/
It’s nice to see that I’m not the only one who fights these feelings of “Should I/shouldn’t I run today?” Oddly, I pretty much faced the same conditions yesterday–it was pouring rain and I tend to chicken out on days like that. The way that I overcame that feeling was that I reminded myself how far I had come to developing into a runner and that I didn’t want to backslide into how I used to be. Most of it is mental visualization, but it sure does help!
And yes, I felt hardcore running in the rain, too!
thats awesome! I agree it is ssoo mental!
I LOVE running in the rain! Couldn’t pass it up! But props to you for getting out the door when you were thinking about not doing it!
For me, having a schedule of when to run helps me stay honest. I use a schedule for my fitness workouts, but my running “schedule” is just running every day. If I know I can’t miss a day, I always run! It’s super simple but super effective!
I am a schedule girl too, and I dont mind the rain but oh it made it sssooo humid! The rain actually felt nice, except for the water squishing in my shoes!
Great post!!
For me, I try to envision how I feel AFTER getting through the run. Mood boost, energized, overall more positive outlook. That’s usually enough to convince me. A great playlist (updated ones are the best) helps too!
yes! endorphins!
That’s so awesome, Heather! I’m glad you had a great run! I love that quote about no regrets!! :0) Way to kick some booty and show that knee who’s boss!!! lol