It's Always An Adventure

Okay, I am going to admit it.  I have a love/hate relationship with running.

There used to be NO relationship between myself and running.  We were as far apart as Sarah Palin and reality.  I used to pass runners in my car at all times of day and think that they were totally insane to be out pounding the pavement.  I only ran if I was scared.

And then a very strange thing happened a few years back.  A couple of good friends in my neighbourhood and I, decided to join a learn-to-run program so that we could get into shape.  I gained a respect for runners and slowly I became one myself. Now, it did not happen overnight. When I first started I could barely run for one minute without collapsing and gasping for air. I wanted to quit numerous times.  In fact, I have quit numerous times.  This is what I mean by love/hate relationship.

Since I started running I have trained religiously, three to four times a week and raced a few 5K’s and a couple of 10K’s.  And then I stop.  Usually it is because my life (or so I like to believe) has become too stressful and other things become a priority and I can’t fit in the runs.  Really these are just lame excuses.  The whole beauty of running is that you can do it anywhere and all you need is a pair of running shoes and space. But for some reason, I stop.  And then I feel guilty.

Running makes me feel amazing.  It relieves stress.  I am able to think about the day and with each step that I take, a bit of the stress is pounded into the pavement.  It is alone time.  I love the solitude.  Just me and my music, pushing myself to go a little longer or a little faster.  And I love the health benefits, I always feel more energized.  So… why does it sometimes seem soo hard to get my butt of the couch and go?!

I think it is because I train really hard and then I stop and it is really hard to get back into it again.  Nothing deeper than that.  I have to make it a priority.

Yesterday I went on my first run in about four months.  It was raining and gloomy.  My kind of running weather.  I am one of those bizarre people who actually enjoys running in the rain, snow and cold.  I detest running in the heat.  I ran along the Hudson River. It was awesome.  And again, I asked myself, why did I stop?

No more excuses, this time I am in for the long haul.  Running really is about 90% mental, so I just have to stop playing games with myself, commit to the relationship and let go of the hate.

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