Let me tell you about my run today, or rather my morning so far.
So this morning was not a good morning. I woke before my alarm, set for my run. My head started with the protests, “it’s only a short run” “do it tomorrow instead” “you don’t normally run on Saturday, you’re only doing it because you over slept on Monday, because of your inability to work your phone alarm”. Loads more excuses too, the dog will want his breakfast, you need breakfast.
Then the truth, you shouldn’t have had three beers and a curry last night it doesn’t help when you are running the next morning.
I got up dressed in my running gear, downstairs 2 minutes of procrastination making a fuss of the dog who was pleased to see me, he always is a mealtimes.
Give him his breakfast and half of my banana that I always have before a run. I need to drink water, more procrastination, but valid, i drink some water.
Set my app up and look for my keys. I realise i have left them in a trouser pocket in the bedroom, not wanting to disturb my wife, I decide to take the keys for the back of the house and set about writing her a note in case she hears me coming in the back door and it gives her a shock. Thoughtful I know, but really more procrastination.
So I am out through the front door having warmed up longer that usual.. you guessed it.
And set my app running, music blares out of my phone. I have left my head phones in doors and have no keys for the front of the house. Swearing under my breath I shut the phone up and reset the app... twice because of my middle age inability to work my phone.
I set off running, my left knee moans which is normal but today its more annoying. Then the tight right achilles joins in, also normal but today its complaining seems louder than usual. My legs feel heavy and tired my thighs join in the complaints, this is new. I have completed 300 meters of my 4 k run and the thought to turn back and go home crosses my mind and lingers. Then the lungs start shouting at me too.
The reason for this long rambling post?
Well I didn’t stop and go home, I persevered, I ran the 4 k in an average time for me nothing earth shattering. I didn’t feel good, it was humid and I had obviously tired legs, probably from the long run and an hour of tennis on Thursday more than the beer and curry. But I dug in and completed the run.
These are the runs that matter, these are the runs that set you mind. The hardest muscle to train is the brain muscle. Todays run was the victory that will get me to 10k more so than the long runs that make me feel good when I have achieved a new distance or time.
So If you find yourself procrastinating and your brain muscle isn’t willing push through it, that’ll be the run you needed to develop just that bit more.
How did your parkrun or (not)parkrun go?
