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Yesterday was a great day!
I guess technically I could start out every blog that way, but let me tell you exactly what I'm talking about. Yesterday as I was getting ready to go for a run, Mandi asked if I like to go run with her and her mom. As usual, when Mandi asked if I would like to go running with her, my answer was no. (I think I mentioned it on this blog before but I'm not a big fan of running with my wife.) It's pretty simple really - she's really good at running and I'm not. Whenever I run with her I feel like I'm holding her back and the last thing I want to do is cause her to slow down. And although I love spending time with my wife any chance that I can get, running is not one of those times I like to take advantage of.
Mandi was a little more persistent yesterday. She's getting back into the swing of things and still not able to run at the higher end of her pace. Nancy, my mother-in-law, was also insistent that she had fallen a bit out of training and wasn't going to be going that fast either. It took some coaxing from the both of them, but in the end I decided to go with the group. As we all laced up our shoes we are exchanging reasons why none of us were looking forward to this run.
“I wish it were either colder out or warmer out. It's right at that temperature that I know when I start to run it'll be freezing, but as I start to warm up, I'll be ripping off my jacket as I cook to death”
“Trust me. I'm dreading this run is much as you are. My legs feel like they're weighed down with cement right now.”
“I'm still sore from my workout yesterday. I think I'd look forward to this run a little more if it didn't feel like I was getting stabbed in the thighs.”
Those were just a few things being thrown out before we started our run, but as always, we also knew that it wouldn't be something we regretted as soon as our run was over. As we made it out the door we started out at a leisurely walking pace just trying to warm up our legs and adjust to the temperature outside. We were still cracking jokes about how nervous we were with the run getting closer and closer to starting. We made a deal with each other that we would start running as soon as we got to that stop sign. That stop sign came and went and it wasn't until we got to this stop sign that we actually started to run. That's how it usually goes right?!?!?
Anyway, off we went!
For the first 1.8 miles the pace was absolutely perfect for me. Both Mandi and Nancy were going slower than normal and it just so happened to be my top speed at the moment. We were all in a good groove and by the looks of it, all feeling pretty good. It wasn't until about 1.8 mile mark that I started slowing way down and couldn't hang with the girls. However, I set a goal of making it all the way home which was another .4 miles away and that's exactly what I was going to do. Many things ran through my mind to get me to the finish line:
“Your wife had a baby 4 weeks ago and she's pulling away from you. Pick it up!"
"You've made it this far and to stop now would just be stupid."
“Think about how great you'll feel when you run all the way home. Now, think about how bad you feel if you stop now. I guarantee you'll regret stopping now and walking the rest of the way. You always do.”
“If you don't want to do it for you, do it for Mandi and Mckenna."
“Who cares if you're moving slowly, all that matters is that you're moving forward.”
As you can see, I do quite a bit of self coaching when I'm out on the run. You must understand, that this happens every time and not just yesterday. As stated many times before - I'm not the biggest fan of running and that is the absolute truth. It hurts. It's hard to breathe. I don't enjoy it. But, and this is a big but, I am 100% convinced that running is a major player in getting my lung function to a point that it hasn't been since 2003. I know full well that I don't want to run, but I'm convinced that I need to run.
So to make a long story short, although this is already been pretty long, I did in fact make it to the end. I ran 2.2 miles and it is by far the furthest I've run since rehabbing my foot. Like I said, I felt pretty good for 1.8 miles into it, and to me, that is simply amazing! When I started this running journey I could run for 30 seconds before being forced to stop because of either my lungs or legs. To think that I've been out of the running loop for almost 5 months now and I'm already back to running over 2 miles provides me with the joy that I can't quite explain.
I'll tell you happy also - my lungs.
