I have started out on plenty of runs fully prepared and ready to run forever only to find out about halfway down the block that what I planned to be a "long" run will more likely be a "slightly more than short run". Despite the fact that I am fully hydrated (and made a point to "go" before I left), and that I have eaten plenty of healthy carbohydrates, and that I am wearing very expensive and incredibly supportive running shoes, and that I have filled my ipod with some really good pump-up songs, and that I have really cute running gear on, and that I have slept the prescribed 8 hours...I am just not feeling it. My body and my mind are just not on the same page.
No matter how well we take care of our bodies, there are just days that we can't run as well as the others. Days where we are mentally not ready to run. I have talked to a lot of other runners about this. Some more hard-core than others. The general concensus is that for the most part the way that we take care of our bodies will attribute to our ability, or lack thereof, to run well. But, there is no doubt that every runner has that inexplicable bad run now and again. Sunday was mine.
I will admit (mostly because I have to because some of the people reading this blog were with me) that I had a couple of cocktails on Saturday night. However, I am old enough and unfortunately experienced enough to know what a hangover feels like and this wasn't. I just felt zapped of energy and pretty down. This is especially strange considering that it was the first nice day that we have had in a while. Usually the sunshine perks me up. But, instead I felt awful and as a result I couldn't run.
The point of today's blog is that no matter how perfectly we take care of ourselves, we will have off days. And the truth is, running is about 75% mental and 25% physical. So, while it is a necessity to keep the body in good shape it is also important to be in the right frame of mind. Realistically, we can't predict and prevent every illness. We can't be aware of every change in our body's chemistry. We have no control over how well our kids slept the night before. And, we can't prevent the many fire drills we face at work. All of these can knock us down and sabotage what could have been a potentially good run (or for non-runners, a potentially good mood). But despite the occassional bad run (bad mood) we need to keep taking care of ourselves and remember that tomorrow's run will be better. Tomorrow's run will be sunnier.
It has taken me a couple of days, but I got caught up on sleep, have been eating well, and I'm ready to go for that run once again!!
Until next time...
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