Did That Just Happen?

I've been having a tough time with my running. Lack of motivation to stick to my training schedule, and feeling anxious about choosing between running and school work has sometimes left me paralyzed. The result has been a less-than-best effort put into, well, anything I'm doing right now.

In other words, definitely not winning at life at the moment.

I didn't run at all last week, which has put me slightly behind on my long mileage. This can be disheartening, as it only serves to feed into the mentality of, "Maybe I should just give up on training completely." But, miraculously, I forced myself out there today. It wasn't great, but it was better than nothing. Also, I don't know many other people who ran 19 km today, so I have to remind myself that any long distance is a good thing.

Sometimes after doing long runs I think to myself, "Did that just happen?" It sometimes feels a bit surreal, especially after periods of blah. But I have GPS and heart rate data to prove it, so it must've happened. Small wins, right?

Today's run: 19 km. Weather: dry and cool. Feeling: okay.

Side note: a male runner who passed me today said, "Nice gait!" At first I was all like, say what now? But then I found it funny - and a little flattering. He may or may not really know what good running form looks like, but it was still nice for him to say.

Props to everyone who ran the Pacific Road Runners First Half in support of Variety - The Children's Charity of British Columbia today. Hope you all enjoyed the race, and the brief periods of sun we had this morning!

I think gratitude, in any form, is a wonderful thing. Here's a little video from Variety saying thanks to the Pacific Road Runners for all their support over the years. Enjoy!

I, Long Distance Runner

Years ago, I blogged about some quirky traits people inherit when they get serious about running. After four marathons and many, many miles, I like to think I've also learned a thing or two about myself over the years:

• I am a long distance runner. 
• The first five or six km of any run is what I need to really warm up and settle in. 
• I'm no expert, but I don't need unsolicited advice about running. I know where to get good advice, thanks. Besides, not all advice works for everyone. 
• I like to run alone - not because I'm anti-social but because, as a wise man and fellow runner (The Oatmeal) once said: "The buzzing roar of the world is nothing compared to the noise inside my head. But when I run, the world grows quiet." 
• I also like to run alone because it affords me the opportunity to really pay attention to my body, run by feel, and allow my thoughts to drift in and out, as needed. This isn't possible if I'm running with someone else.
• And no, I'm not fast - but I love it, so I do it anyway. 

I love long distance running! Long distance running's my favourite.

Here's to introspection! Hope you're all staying warm despite the polar vortex. 

Today's run: 16 km. Weather: cold (we broke a record!) but sunny and glorious. Feeling: blessed. Totally.