• During the fall/winter months I always have a hard time before I start my early morning runs. I am very cold and it always takes a while for my body to warm up so I can actually start enjoying the run. At the beginning of the run, when we are walking to warm up, I always question my decision of being there. What was I thinking about? I could be in bed, all warm and cuddle, drinking hot chocolate and watching a movie! Instead, I am here, cold (and some days wet), with a long run in front of me. You really need to be crazy to do this.
After five kilometers into the run, those feeling are gone and I actually start enjoying myself. It is always the same, and it seems that my brain does not get it. That is why it is important to run with a group of people. If I were running by myself I would definitely come up with excuses to run later, and at the end to not even do it. When you run with someone else, there is no way out. You know they are there counting on you, so you do it.
What takes me through all this painful mental process is the feeling I know I will get once I finish my run. There are no words to describe what you feel when you see that it is 10:30am and you have just finished running 22 kilometres, you have just burned 1400 calories, and you still have ahead the rest of the day for you to eat, nap, work, clean and rest. That is amazing! By the end of the day I know my day did not go wasted. I earned every single meal and treat, I am better trained, my fitness level went up a little bit, and I am more confident of what I can do.
• In two weeks I will be running my 6th half marathon race of the year. I can’t believe it is almost here. For this one I am trying to attempt a 2 hours finishing. We have all been training hard and I know I am ready and well prepared. But no matter how many races I have run I keep going through the same mental process: Now that I am getting closer to race day I keep doubting that I can actually make it in two hours. I know I have the training in but every single run proves my fears that it will be hard and maybe I can’t make it. I know this is a mind trick, but it sure feels real.
My Animal Lover Note:
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