A long phone conversation with my favorite running counselor (my marathoner sister) helped me realize that I need to take a break from putting so much pressure on myself. After months of being obsessive about mileage and pace and time, I lost the enjoyment of just running. Heather telling me that it's okay to take a break was just what I needed to change my mindset.
I've thrown in the towel on running for the sake of logging miles, and went on my runs this week with a fresh mindset and zero game plan. On Tuesday I went out solo with no mileage plan, no pace goals. Just me and the road like the good ol days.
It was a perfect fall afternoon and I just ran around some of my favorite neighborhoods until I felt like stopping. It really is a great feeling to look at your watch and not have a conniption when your mileage is a random, uneven 4.27. Mollz Reality Check: 4.27 happy enjoyable miles is way better than running an extra unwanted .73 miles just to hit 5.
Yesterday Emily and I had plans to run after work and I was excited to get in some miles with my old running buddy! It's been forever since we've ran together, but even so, our running buddy ESP is still alive because we ended up in matching gear:
As with Tuesday, I went out with no plan and no expectations and Em was on the same page. We hit up the old trail that I used to run on when I very first started running. I remember when I couldn't even run TO the trail without stopping! I haven't been on that running trail since last fall and it brought back so many memories!
We took it easy and slow and chatted away the whole time. It was the perfect fall weather and even though the three miles weren't as easy as Tuesday's miles, I had fun and enjoyed each step of the run!
Aside from the amazingly perfect weather that fall offers, fall also means it's time to bust out some of my favorite running gear: reflective vests and headlamps. Although we didn't bust out the reflective vests for our run yesterday, we did dust off the old headlamps. Whoever invented those things is a genius. I love my headlamp.
Since tomorrow is a race day (more on that in a minute) I was planning on doing nothing today. However, Brie has recently decided to start being active (for more than a day) and has been consistently going to the gym (yeah Brie!) so when she asked me if I wanted to join her today I couldn't turn her down. We did some ellipticizing and some planking and got in a solid sweat. Never ever would I have thought that I would be posting about going to the gym with Brie. Here's photographic proof that this part of my post isn't fictional:
Tomorrow is the Autumn Classic Duathlon, which is the same course as the duathlon I did back in May. Except this time, there's a few things different in the equation: New bike & longer course. The last du was before I even knew how to bike, so I'm excited to see how it goes with the new wheels. I also opted for the longer course this time - a 2 mile run, 10 mile bike, 2 mile run, 10 mile bike, 2 mile run. Just typing that out makes me nervous for tomorrow. Time to go prep my gear and get some sleep! Here goes nothin!
Molly: As you know I usually have a comment about your most recent escapades in your very active social life, but while reading your most recent post about your going to the gym with my daughter (Brie to everyone else), and then seeing a picture of you and Brianna in work out clothes and seeing the both of you smiling (and her not crying), has actually rendered me speechless. I will have to comment at a later time. I need a moment. Love ya! Mrs. L
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