I am truly touched at the response I got from my last post. Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement.
Mike: You're right. 12 miles was on the schedule and I did it. That's something to be proud of no matter what the pace.
Brittney: I'll try and listen for "Me" in there somewhere from now on. I know she's in there somewhere!
Silly Lillie: I can be sort of a biotch too! But apparently I didn't have the fight in me on Saturday. My running is my running. My pace is my pace. I'm not out there to impress or please anyone else. Thank you for helping me realize I need to reclaim my own running experience.
Betsy: Thanks for the tip! I just might use Saturday's run during the last 6 miles of the marathon. I'll need some (ok, A LOT of) encouragement by then and I'll try to remember all the days I got out there and ran when I didn't feel like it, just so I could make it to those last 6.2 miles on race day.
Patty: Thanks for stopping by! I did check out your blog and I hope you have a better mental week ahead. I hope we all do!
Red: I never knew what the Miles game was all about before! And I have been passed by plenty of walkers. Though not at the mall. I think I'd have to tackle one of them.
Bridgette: She totally was a jerk! I should have pulled her stupid pony tail. Jerk.
There are a few things I've realized since Saturday. For starters, I'm putting way too much pressure on myself. I started this whole journey because I loved running. Running was fun, running was spiritual, running was my escape from my every day life. But over the past week or two, I've been beating myself up over a lackluster performance and not giving myself nearly the credit I deserve. I'm training for a marathon for craps sake!
The second thing I realized is that I really do love running. I couldn't say this 10 years ago with a straight face and back then I was easily pounding out 7 minute miles. These days, I usually fall in between 10-11 minute miles but I really do love it. In my old age and wisdom, I've discovered I'd rather be slow and happy than fast and miserable. (In a perfect world, I'd be fast and happy, but hey, let's not get greedy now!) I hope to be running for as long as my body will allow it, and if that means running slow, so be it. My goal is to enjoy the journey along the way.
And the last thing I realized, although I knew this already, is that runners are good people. Who else would leave me, a stranger, such genuine support and encouragement? I'm proud to belong in the same community as all of you and call myself....a runner.
Happy miles....
4 comments:
I don't know you very well yet, having just started reading your blog, but I hope you will not be offended when I tell you that I shared your line, "In my old age and wisdom" with the senior citizens ( the youngest is 82)I care for, and we all had a good chuckle around the breakfast table.
I do know what you meant by it, and I applaud you for your acceptace and wisdome of yourself. Good job!
YOU ARE AWESOME! I am sure it was a frustrating experience (you described it so well that I was feeling the painful wrench in my gut along with you), but you are too great for those mind games. When "myself" starts talking, remind it that it was YOUR genius that came up with the choreography to "Big Girls Don't Cry" (the old version, not stupid Fergie crap). Who else could do something like that?!?! =) Love you, babe.
That video is going to haunt us both until we die!!!!!!!!!
Yes, yes it will. Since it is YOUR family that has the only existing copy, it is YOUR job to see to its disposal. =) But then they'd just replay Peppermint Twist over and over instead. ;+)
Post a Comment