Tough long run...

Well, they're gonna happen sooner or later. I'm talking about having a bad long run. I had to do 15 miles this morning and was hoping it would be good. I went with our local running club, but we usually don't stay together too long. The first problem today? I couldn't get my legs to warm up to save my life! Usually, I'm fine with just tights on, but today, it was like running with popsicles for legs! I'd say they were numb for most of the run...which made me feel like they weighed 100 pounds each. It should be noted that I could not keep my backside warm either!

By the time I got to the Y (5 miles), my motivation was waning. I decided to trudge onward and get another 2.5 miles in before turning back. Let's just say these might have been the LONGEST 2.5 miles ever! Sometimes the time just doesn't fly by the way you want it to. I had to walk a few times (which I hate) and was just not into it. To be honest, I considered calling my friend Tina to pick me up. There were a few problems with that though: 1) I had no cell phone with me; 2) I don't have Tina's number memorized. So, I scrapped that plan and kept running.

I decided my chocolate GU would be my big reward when I hit 8 miles. Woohoo! I finally made it back to the Y for my 2nd water stop. Now I only had 5 miles left in this journey. Those of you with IPODS will understand this. IPODS do not like cold weather, at all. They turn off at the very hint of a cool breeze. So, I packed my IPOD inside my jacket pocket today, which seemed to help. I had good tunes for 10 miles. When I left the Y to go the last 5 miles, my IPOD said, "Sorry Mariah, no can do, we're done. You have fun for the last few miles, though." Honestly, at that point, I wasn't too upset about it. I was focused on finishing this run! I had time to think and reflect, which is good.

I wanted to blog about this bad run to encourage all of you. Honestly, I could get all worked up about this. I could get mad that I didn't hit the pace, that I stopped to walk several times, or that it just didn't go well. OR, I could take a more positive approach and focus on the fact that no one is forcing me to run 15 miles today or train for a marathon, for that matter. I could have just as easily stayed in bed when my alarm went off at 6:15 am. But, I chose to go do the work, regardless of how it turned out. At the end of the day, I still covered 15 miles (no matter how I did it). And, as I always say, I'm blessed to have a body that CAN run, regardless of the pace.

I have really enjoyed my training so far for this next marathon and I knew there would be a few bad runs in there. At least I know that there are ALWAYS more good runs than bad. I know there will be plenty of good long runs in the coming weeks. I hope all of YOU have good long runs or good ANYTHING in the coming weeks as well!