Goodness, is it Thursday already?
I feel like my days kinda melt together during the week. Especially this week (although I could probably say that about every week). With the traveling home from Texas, a trip to the ER, adjusting back to life at home (laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, meal planning) plus trying to get back on track with my training there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day.
I went for a run on Tuesday. I made several mistakes in the preparation and execution of this run…. I’m going to share those with you in hopes that you don’t make the same mistakes. First of all I’m certain I wasn’t drinking enough water throughout the day. I was struggling with guilt about my lack of running (or workouts of any kind) last week so I was itching to get back to it. I decided to go for a run at lunch/nap time, another mistake. It was the middle of the day and it was hotter than I’ve been used to running in. Third mistake, I ran shortly after lunch… probably not long enough after, so my stomach was unsettled. My legs felt so heavy. I struggled through all 3 miles. Simple mistakes led me to some very negative thinking.
I wondered why I even bothered to try to be a runner. I struggle with this often, but this time I thought, even if it was just for a second, about quitting. And I hate that. I felt ashamed after that. I may not be the best runner, but I am certainly NOT a quitter. The fact that quitting even crossed my mind really frustrated me. I want running to be fun. I want it to be challenging. And I realized that it is completely up to me. It is all mental. Sure, there is a physical aspect. But if I can’t get my head in the game mentally, it is pointless.
For all you runners out there, or even those of you who aren’t runners but what to be… Just remember you CAN do it as long as you think you can do it.
Today I decided to go out for a run in the vibrams, I wanted to redeem myself from Tuesday run. I took Payton, she started out in the stroller but then she decided she wanted to run too. She actually went almost 1 mile by herself… I only had to carry her for a little bit after we dropped the stroller off, lol! Love that girl.
This weekend I plan on getting in my long run… hopefully 10 miles. The half-marathon is in 3 weeks. I’m still fundraising for Team Living Water and have set a goal to rase 131.00 (representing the 13.1 miles I’m going to be running). I’m currently at 38.00, so we have just $93 left to go! I’m running this race to help raise money to build clean drinking wells for those who don’t have access to clean drinking water. If you can help, even just a few dollars, please go here and donate now. If you want to know more about Living Water International check out www.water.cc.
What are some mental struggles you have worked through? What helps keep you motivated?
imperfectly courtney 