running musings

[marathoner452]

I don't know how and I don't know why, but I'm getting back my enthusiasm for long-distance running. Last night I sat in my car for 2 hours after the Flying Feet ice cream run was cancelled waiting for a particularly rainy thunderstorm to blow over. Even though my mom and I ran the Baltimore Women's Classic yesterday morning, I wanted to do more miles. Unfortunately for my running shoes and weekly mileage totals, the storm was still lightninging by the time I went to bed. I may be a hardy runner but I'm not stupid. I'm also not a hypocrite-I'm not going to lecture kids about staying inside during a storm and then go out and run 5 miles in it myself.

I think I'm going to register for the Annapolis 10 Miler when I get home. It's 40 bucks but it'll be 40 bucks well-spent if it motivates me to run again. I'm sick and tired of feeling lazy.* I want to feel tired after an early-morning long run with the NCR Trail Snails/Team in Training/my running buddies from Flying Feet. I want to taste salty Gatorade Endurance on my tongue on a hot August evening. I want to feel no guilt whatsoever about eating the chocolate mousse cake tops that my sister brings home from Snickerdoodles (the bakery where she works).

I want to be a runner again, not just someone who runs every once in awhile. That distinction is mine. I do not deny casual runners the opportunity to call themselves runners when they are running the way I am now, but I know I am capable of more and I want it back.

~Bethany

*Incidently, my feeling lazy is just that-my feeling lazy. It does not mean that I'm still reeling from my disaster deployment back in March. Yes, my priorities have changed. No, needing to be flexible for the Red Cross and wanting to help New Orleans does not mean that I'm willing to sacrifice my identity as a runner.

EDIT: Here are the Baltimore Women's Classic results from yesterday: http://www.charmcityrun.com/eventResults.cfm?eventid=477. Look for me down around 10:53 total pace. See how long it took me to cross the start line? Stupid portapotties. As a sidenote, look at the results from 2003, the first year I ran this race: http://www.baltimorewomensclassic.com/2003results.html. I ran a 25:27, 4th in my age group by 5 seconds. Had I run 2 seconds faster per mile I could have had a free Under Armour shirt. Without a whole lot of speedwork, I have no chance of placing that high in my age group these days, thanks to the faster/larger 20-29 bracket.

Comments

[roadwarrior220.livejournal.com]

I'm working on the same thing--just wish I had a club or group to get me out and motivate me a little more, or a race or two to run. I really dislike only running 4 or 5 miles every other day or so, and I want to train like I did in college again. It'll have to wait until we get back from NOLA, but I'm going to restructure my training.

I hope I wasn't a reason your running suffered.

~Adam

[marathoner452.livejournal.com]

I was the reason my running suffered.

That last comment was a response to stuff you've said though. I don't think I'm losing interest in things I used to be really passionate about. I think you got to know me at a high point for running in my life. I throw myself into things 100%, but oftentimes that means I can't keep that level of enthusiasm up for very long.

You haven't known me long enough to know that. That's not a criticism of you, just honesty.

[roadwarrior220.livejournal.com]

I understand all that now (as I said in my e-mail), and I really do want to know you long and well enough to know and understand all that.

~Adam

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

hey I cycle through interests in a similar way! I've been running on and off for years now and I just trust I'll return to running at some point. Downside though for me is that I'll probably never get really fast without some consistent training.

[marathoner452.livejournal.com]

"I'll probably never get really fast without some consistent training."

That's true, and I've always been kinda jealous of those that can run consistantly high mileage. On the other hand, if you don't give yourself a little break every once in awhile, you'll burn out.

Then again, there's a "little break" and then there's a 7 month break from quality training after a marathon. :-)

I love the pictures of food you post. I can tell you're doing better because of all the good food. :-)

~Bethany

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I do feel better. Some of the food pictures are being resurrected from the archives. I've got a bunch of photos of food that I still hadn't gotten around to posting yet.

[18monthmission.livejournal.com]

I know how you fee. In fact I have been thinking the same thing for my life. My plan is to put in five to six miles tonight, and just keep at that until I feel like doing more. I miss the tired feeling of a good run that is run often and true.

[marathoner452.livejournal.com]

6 miles Monday night. I would have run last night too, but we were still getting that torrential flooding rain. I just couldn't bring myself to do it when I had a perfectly good hurricane book to read.

~Bethany