Finding My Running Legs

I’m just not into it lately.  I’m exhausted and stressed out (what else is new?) and I don’t want to feel like I have to workout.  I enjoy running unless I feel like I am forcing it and lately it has felt forced.  This weekend, I planned on running for 2 hours and I just didn’t want to.  I was feeling really overwhelmed and I just wanted to stay home and veg.  I blew off my run and felt better for it.

Monday, the weather was beautiful and I felt the itch to move my legs.  Saturday, it had poured all day and Sunday was freezing cold with 20 mph winds.  But Monday was perfect.

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It also worked out nicely that I was able to take a very early train home from school and had a good solid 2 hours before Rob would be home from work.  I was feeling really tired and took a few minutes to lounge around the house before heading out.  The trails were so beautiful, all covered in leaves!

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I only tripped about 6 times on logs or broken branches under the leaves…  So it makes it a little more challenging than normal!  I was only about 2 miles in when I realized that 2 hours of running just wasn’t going to happen.  I decided to just keep looping around until I was tired.  Once I got on the last segment, my legs were pretty much done and I was glad it was only a mile to the car.

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I started off this run with my intervals set but about 10 minutes in I realized that I would go mad with my watch beeping at me every few minutes (last time, I had music so I barely heard the beeping).  I also remembered that trail running, no matter how flat and “easy”, is a different beast than road running.  Every little sand pit slide and log hop takes extra energy and I would have to expect to have shorter runs and slower paces.

The verdict?  A decent run!  Not much fun really but it wasn’t bad either.  Actually, I took a break to text a friend at about midpoint and I seemed to get my second wind after that.  I think once I let go of reaching a certain distance or time, I enjoyed myself a bit more.  It felt so much better to just run because I wanted to rather than having a goal in mind.

Will this get me in decent enough shape to complete 13.1 miles in less than a month?  I don’t know!  But I would rather spend the next month enjoying my exercise.  Then the excitement of race day should carry me through the first 6 miles.  The excitement of running through my campus will get me through miles 7, 8, and 9.  The it will be pure grit for the last 4.1 miles.  Wow that sounds a little scary but I signed up for it and I will complete it!  I want to at least enjoy most of the journey while I’m at it.

Do you enjoy exercise or do you do it because you feel like you have to?

2 thoughts on “Finding My Running Legs

  1. I can relate to hating the “forced” feeling about working out. I have found recently that once I get started, my attitude really improves and I’m always happy I did it. Good luck as you continue training!

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