A Bad, Bad Run
It's unusual for me to have a bad run. Very unusual, in fact. But Saturday was one of those days. I had planned to do a long run that morning. my normal plan for a Saturday long run is to get out of the apartment and head into the park to do a 6-mile loop at just after 8 AM, and then meet up with the Flyers group run at 9 AM for another loop. If I really want to get in some distance, I'll do a third loop after the group run. It's normally pretty automatic and I don't think about it much. I basically roll out of bed, throw some running gear on, and out the door I go.
But Saturday didn't work that way. My head was elsewhere, and I couldn't get myself out the door quickly. I kept questioning whether I should bring a gel with me, what to listen to on my iPod, whether it was too hot, and I'm not used to the heat, so should I even do a long run? or whether I should wear a singlet or a light t-shirt. My head was clouded with details.
Finally, reluctantly, I got myself out the door. But as I was now a bit later than I should have been, I mentally adjusted my running route, took the subway one stop to 59th street and started out from Columbus Circle.
It was horrible. I ran and walked. I ran and walked. I couldn't get on pace at all. I was averaging ten-minute miles. I cut the first loop back to 4 miles and barely made it to the start of the run on time. I thought that if I got running with the group, things might be better.
They weren't. My pace picked up a bit, sure, but I still laboured, and I knew going long wasn't in the cards for me. Just over two miles in, on the West Drive at the bottom of the reservoir, I bid farewell to my fellow Flyers, and made for the subway home. A measly 6.2 miles in all.
But it reminds me that we all can just have bad days sometimes. The last time I remember having a bad day like that was at Grete's Great Gallop Half Marathon last fall, where I took a DNF. Sometimes we just can't get going. Hopefully those days don't come on marathon day, but we all have to recognize that sometimes they do.
But Saturday didn't work that way. My head was elsewhere, and I couldn't get myself out the door quickly. I kept questioning whether I should bring a gel with me, what to listen to on my iPod, whether it was too hot, and I'm not used to the heat, so should I even do a long run? or whether I should wear a singlet or a light t-shirt. My head was clouded with details. Finally, reluctantly, I got myself out the door. But as I was now a bit later than I should have been, I mentally adjusted my running route, took the subway one stop to 59th street and started out from Columbus Circle.
It was horrible. I ran and walked. I ran and walked. I couldn't get on pace at all. I was averaging ten-minute miles. I cut the first loop back to 4 miles and barely made it to the start of the run on time. I thought that if I got running with the group, things might be better.
They weren't. My pace picked up a bit, sure, but I still laboured, and I knew going long wasn't in the cards for me. Just over two miles in, on the West Drive at the bottom of the reservoir, I bid farewell to my fellow Flyers, and made for the subway home. A measly 6.2 miles in all.
But it reminds me that we all can just have bad days sometimes. The last time I remember having a bad day like that was at Grete's Great Gallop Half Marathon last fall, where I took a DNF. Sometimes we just can't get going. Hopefully those days don't come on marathon day, but we all have to recognize that sometimes they do.
Labels: running
posted by Skylight at 10:58 PM
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