Brrrrrrrr... I thought Spring had sprung!

The alarm went off at 5:40 this morning and they were talking on the radio.  Current temperature was 36 degrees and it had snowed overnight, but didn't accumulate.  What?  36 degrees? snow?  It was about 70 when I went to the park to run on Saturday!  The daffodils have already bloomed and faded.  Tulips are out!  What do you mean 36 and snow?

Yes, it was cold out!  I decided that gloves were in order, along with my earphones that are inside a headband that covers my ears.  All in all, I wasn't that uncomfortable.  The wind was 11 mph, but I dressed warmly enough to get out and do my run.  I didn't do quite as well as Monday.  I slowed for a few walk breaks, but my pace was only slightly slower than the other day.  When I finished I was SO glad that I didn't consider staying in bed because it was cold outside.  AND I really didn't consider it.  I didn't even think of that today - the alarm went off and it was time to get up and go run!

I do a lot of thinking when I run, and when I'm not thinking, I'm counting.  More about the counting in a minute, but I was thinking about how discouraged I felt on the weekend, and how much better I feel now - just 4 days and 2 runs later.  I was really feeling like maybe I can't do this.  Maybe I'm not built for running.  I really wanted to do it, but I've had a lot of people tell me that I won't continue, I shouldn't run, it's not good for me, I need to be really careful and that running is bad for me.  This mostly comes from people I work with.  I was feeling like maybe the only reason I want to run is to prove them wrong - or prove that I can.  So this morning, while runnin' and thinkin' I decided that that isn't the only reason I want to run.  It may be part of the reason, now, but that's not such a bad thing, either.  The best way to motivate me to do something has always been to tell me that I can't!  But I've actually recently started calling myself a "runner" and THAT is the reason that I want to run.  I'm a runner!  Plus I like to prove people wrong when they think I'm unable to do things!  LOL  I read this yesterday: "You ran to eat and to avoid being eaten; you ran to find a mate and impress her, and with her you ran off to start a new life together. You had to love running, or you wouldn't live to love anything else. We were born to run; we were born because we run." - Christopher McDougall, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

The more I run, the quicker I'm done!  When I feel like I want to take a walk break, I try to look inside myself to find out why.  Am I out of breath?  Do my legs hurt?  Or do I just feel like it's time for a break?  Do I NEED to slow down, or do I WANT to?  I'm usually only slightly uncomfortable, and don't HAVE to slow down.  One of my favorite running quotes comes to mind.  Paul Tergat said "Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?' The answer is usually 'Yes'!"  That's so true!  That's when I start counting.  I know that 25 strides equals .01 miles and counting them off helps me to realize how much more I can actually do.

I'm running twice this weekend.  Saturday and Sunday.  You'll see me back here in a few days!