Battle of the Bad Run

Nine months into my first triathlon season, and I've finally fallen victim to a "bad run."  A run so terrible that I allowed it to consume my usual upbeat, positive demeanor.  If you are a runner, know a runner or simply work with people who are runners, you know that this is completely relative.  My bad run was triggered by several different circumstances - all of which were in my control, which makes it worse.

The middle of the month at work is traditionally very stressful, what with deadlines, meetings and my boss usually in town.  I have difficulties getting my workouts in, again, due to my own control.  I don't like to get up at 4:15am during the week, and I have had no willpower to do so as of late.  To sum it up, I did ZERO workouts on my training schedule last week.

Add to it the fact that I was ill prepared for Saturday morning - I forgot to get a 2nd cooler at Publix and didn't put gas in my car on my way home from work - and that I am directionally challenged . . . even at 5am on a Saturday, one hour before a run is not nearly enough time to run errands, drop water stops, park and stretch.  I know this, and yet I still believed that I had plenty of time.

So instead of running with the group, I had a long run with myself.  Thank goodness I had my ipod, because I needed something to distract me.  I am sure that I was entertaining to watch, trucking up the bridges singing out loud . . . 

"what it do baby
it's tha ice man Paul Wall
I got my mouth lookin something like a disco ball..."

I didn't care.  Not one bit.  And yes, I do know all of the words to "Grillz."  I was so unbelievably miserable by mile 7 that my entire focus had shifted to how awful a runner I was becoming.  Did I mention that I ran 12 miles on Saturday?  That was a long way to be miserable; a person does a lot of thinking over the course of 5 miles.

When I finished, I looked at my watch and groaned.  I drank my chocolate milk and ate my banana - not because I was hungry, but because I knew I needed the nutrition.  My hip was aching, my calves were burning, and I was dripping with sweat.  I was supposed to swim, but because my run took longer than expected, I couldn't see the group in the water and I didn't want to swim alone.  So I got in my car and went to retrieve my water stops, wallowing in self-misery.

Pete called to check on me, for which I was very thankful.  It's nice to have people pick you up on the occasions when it's tough to pick yourself up!

My assignment this week?  

To have FUN on at least ONE run.  I promised Pete, and I promised myself that I would do this, and I am determined to make it happen.  I know that this will be difficult to achieve on my own, so I have decided that I will join the Fit Niche running group in downtown St. Pete Wednesday evening.  Running close to the water is not only relaxing, but also beautiful, and it is a favorite route of mine.  Why not meet new people while I am at it, maybe stick around and have a drink with them?  Take my mind off of trying to beat my mile times, and simply enjoy the company of others with similar interests.  

After all, a bad run is just that - a bad run.  I've got to let it go and keep on keepin on.

And so I run.