It is no secret that Monday’s can be a struggle. Today started out very slow. The morning run that I had planned did not exactly take place. Instead my snooze button got the best of me. The soreness from the weekend was real. I had logged 3.5 miles a day since January 1st and my body was feeling it. I had also done yoga and rolled the crap out of my legs while watching football on Sunday. I swear I did all my recovery moves, I even alternated ice and heat after my runs.
It wasn’t until this morning when I finally realized that I have not been very active for about 6 months due to my injury. It is for this reason that I asked myself, “Why did I start out at 3.5 miles a day”? This is what I came up with.
- I know I can run far more than 3.5 miles a day
- I feel like a 5k is a baby run for me, so I bumped it up a bit
- I am impatient
- I tend to push myself to the limit
- I am anxious
- I need to average out my mileage in order to meet my annual goal for my virtual 2021k run
- I want to be at the same running level I was before my injury
- I feel frustrated with starting all over from the beginning
I needed some motivation today so I decided to share my thoughts and a picture I came across. I realized today that it’s not about how fast I run or how quickly I get to a more advanced mileage. It’s about sticking with my goal while listening to my body, which is extremely difficult to do. We all want to do better but remembering how we increase our speed and mileage is half the journey. It’s all about how we get there.
As I woke up slowly, I stayed committed. I knew I needed movement but not intense movement. I decided to split my run/or speed walking.
Before work I completed half a mile walking on the treadmill. While I was at work, I utilized my chair and desk to do some light stretches (5 minute desk breaks). I did some speed walking on both of my breaks and on my lunch. When I finally got home, I was comfortable enough to run a mile. During my run, I was surprised at my energy level, my body was feeling stronger than it had all day. Afterwards, I finished with a 15 minute stretch before calling it.
I completed 4.06 miles today and I am feeling somewhat proud. Proud that I didn’t consider today a wash because I walked. I have learned a lot since my injury and sometimes you need to walk before you can keep running. Starting slow is not what matters. It’s all about not stopping while listening to your body. Progress is key, any progress.
My Running Journey 