Discipline is Remembering What You Want
Stupid quotation. It’s on the front of my training log, along with this picture.
It’s suppose to inspire me.
I have been reluctant to run since February first. January’s training went really well, but my very first run of February lasted two tenths of a mile and ended in a whimper – and a yoga session. I spent the rest of February and March figuring out how to run without causing all the muscles around my right knee to scream at me. This means really paying attention to my form. I have to keep my knee in line with my hips. I must ice after every ride and run and do my stretching video at least three times a week. Add to that some illness, and a bunch of work meetings and wow my running miles are paltry! My last three runs have been good though, which right now means, nothing hurts.
Spring Break started on Friday and I’ve been enjoying the lounge time. I read the third book in the Tunnels series – a kid book, but 599 pages long. I had my hair done and I’ve nearly finished my current cross stitch project. The weather has been iffy, blustery, some sun, but cold. I want temperatures in the seventies. I HATE being cold. The little voice in my head, the crazy one, started nagging at me on Saturday that I really needed to make this week count and get in some serious workouts. Work has a tendency to get in the way of my workouts. It is a little stressful now with budget cuts and state testing looming around the corner.
That crazy little voice reminded me this morning that the longest run I have done in the last two months was only four miles. That’s less than 1/3 of the amount I need to do May 23, which is only seven weeks away now. Arghh… it was only 50 degrees out, overcast and windy. I really did not want to go for a run. The voices in my head started debating various workout options. Bike video – warm and easy, but not really what I need to do. Treadmill run – warm, but boring and I can never seem to last more than 35 minutes on it. I have mastered the 35 minute run. At this point I picked up my training log to flip to next week to see what I have planned. As I put it down, I see the aforementioned stupid quotation. Fine, I’ll freeze my butt off and go for a long run.
I got in 6.8 knee pain free miles. I was warm in about two minutes. Fifty degrees really isn’t that cold, especially when you put out the heat I do when exercising. A wool jersey and headband really help too. I had planned on doing 7.3 miles, but I was getting a blister and walked the last half mile in my socks. The quotation did exactly what I hoped it would when I put it on my log – inspire me to do what I need to do, when I’m lacking motivation.