The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad RUN

 

I am a runner, and, yes, I actually like to run! Well, most days. Some days are better than others, and today was not in the better category. Over on my Strava feed, I believe I wrote, "This run ranks in my top 3 Worst Runs ever". And I meant that. It was hard! From start to finish hard. It went a little like this:

1K- Man, it's kind of hard today. But maybe it's just that beginning of the run struggle. I'll get into my rhythm soon.

2K- Man, it's hot. Maybe if I ditch the t-shirt I'll get into my rhythm. Throws t-shirt into the trees to pick up on the way back. And, yes, I have on a very supportive sports bra that covers a lot. Plus, I was the only one on this stretch of the trail.

3K- I should have brought my water. Why didn't I bring my water???

5K- I want to quit. I need a new attitude (fixes ponytail and changes playlist to something more peppy)

7K- Only 3 left. I'll walk a bit

8K- There's my shirt. Maybe I can put it back on

8.25K- Nope. Still too hot (takes t-shirt back off).

10K- Ugh.

And, no. I never got into my rhythm. 

Today was hard. I think what made it feel harder was last Saturday I ran the fastest 5K ever. This week has been such a chaotic one, my whole groove has been off. But, the thing about running on the trail here, it's out and back. So once you're out, there is only one way to get back. 

There's a life lesson for runs like today, and for runs like last Saturday. Not every run is easy. You're not going to get a personal best every time you're out. Some runs are fun, some are horrid. Most are somewhere in the middle. 

That's what life is, though, right? Some days are great, some are horrid, most are a blend of the two. Nico and Vinz have a song, "Lie Down In Your Arms" with lyrics that go, "Sometimes I feel like I can't run, I can't crawl. And sometimes I feel like I ain't nothing at all. Life is a journey where you stumble and fall"

Life is a journey. We fall down, we get up, we fall down, we get up. We are on the top of the world one week, and in the valley of despair the next. But every day the sun rises, and so should we. Keep looking for the sunrise. Keep moving forward. Don't let the bad days become your standard, but let them remind you that you can get through anything. And keep on training, keep on trying. Someday you'll look back and realize the hard runs were the best training you could do to push you through. And, even if it's a bad run, a bad day, give yourself permission to stop and look around. You'll find that even in the hard times, it's still a beautiful world.