Perfect Running Week

This was one epic week where running and I made up, remembering what we love about each other.

For the past few weeks, I was feeling a little burned out. That's how I'm describing it now, anyway.

When the fight was at it's climax, running and I were pretty pissed with each other and I was even a little worried we might have to break up.

We had accomplished something together that we worked hard for, exceeding our goals. After some vigorous training, I ran a 10k in 58:31 on December 5th. That was a whole minute faster than my goal and it was a PR by several minutes.

Right on schedule, I was left feeling tired and bummed out, wondering if all that hard work was worth it.

Running seemed to feel the same way about me. We were no longer enjoying each others company and we were hurting each other in unnecessary ways.

So we did what any non-martyr would do, we took a break from each other.

But now, after two weeks of bs'ng and a full week of not running at all, I decided it was time we make up before we had to start all over again.

I went to the gym on Tuesday and had a nice easy run. We made a treaty. I wouldn't push it too hard and running wouldn't injure me.

The next day I took off and just did some cross training. Thursday I ran for 101 minutes...whatever I could do in that time. It ended up being a good 9+ mile run. Friday I ran just long enough to complete my goal of 20 miles for the week.

Come Saturday I had already completed my goal mileage for the week. But I just couldn't not run.

First of all, it was New Years Day, and I had to start the year off right. Second, it was the first day of a challenge in my running mom group, and I can't back down from a challenge. And finally, the kid was driving me crazy and the kid's dad was offering to occupy him for the day, so it was paramount for the sake of all our sanity and well being that I go for a run.

I ended up doing a 12 mile hard run, the longest run I've done in months and 12 miles more than I planned to run this week.

There's just something about running more mileage than you plan to in a week. Something just clicks. Today is my day off and I want to run.

This is very different than the way I usually feel on my day off. Usually when I barely make my weekly mileage, by my day off all I can think is "Only one day off?" My body usually feels like it's begging for a longer break.

So I'm left thinking this. Maybe I completely mis-understood the dispute between running and I. I thought running was mad at me for taking it too hard, too far. But no, I think it was the other way around. Running wanted more from me.

Or maybe it was just a good week.

Whatever it is, I love running this week and running loves me! Now that is a good feeling.