That's a great question Glinda... I wish I knew the answer...
Why is it that some days you feel like a Kenyan-running-rockstar and other days you feel like...well... you just feel like crap when you go out for a run? How does this happen?
The good days are great...endorphins flowing...feeling light on your feet...that feeling like you could run forever (ok...I might be exaggerating here....but those endorphins make you kinda kooky!)
The bad days are B-A-D! You feel like an elephant....your lungs somehow forgot how to process oxygen at their normal rate, your brain forgets how to regulate your body temperature and you are running around looking like a bright red tomato...and your heart, your poor heart, its pumping so hard and furiously it could quite literally explode....you knows this because its all you can focus on...
The problem with the bad run day or a good run day is you never know when its going to happen. When will it strike?
You can be feeling sluggish and having a bad day and then go for a run and POOF! Instant high---great run!
You can be feeling sluggish and having a bad day and then go for a run and POOF! Instant high---great run!
A good run:
OR
You can be having a great day, totally pumped to get out there and do your run...and then BAM!---bad run...WTF?!?!
A bad run:
Luckily its about a 70% chance of a GOOD run and 30% chance of a BAD run. I guess that is what keeps me coming back for more...
Holla Back: How do you deal with the BAD days? Share please!
Happy Running!
~Lauren
Oh girl, I totally understand. Some days I give in to the bad runs and stop early and just let it roll off my back. I'm usually due for a bad run about every 3 weeks. The worst is when it happens on the big race day you've been training for (ummm... LA marathon for me!). I'm still learning how to manage it, but usually I walk for about 10 minutes, let my mind calm down and then pick it back up. I try to focus on someone else completely and that usually takes my mind off the mental pain.
ReplyDeleteThe more bad runs you have, the more you learn about yourself... mantras are really important, as are deep slow breathing!
Yeah, I TOTALLY know what you mean. I joined a running group that meets Thursday nights. I went one Thursday after I had worked a long day and had eaten a muffin in the afternoon. I think the sugar bomb made me sink low by the time the run came. I wanted to cry the whole time, but the girl I run with kept telling me that it was ok. Bad runs happen. She would jog ahead as I walked and would come back to get me, which kept me moving forward. There is no way to deal with a bad run other than to just finish if you can. Sometimes I think "if I just keep running, I'll be done sooner and I can rest!" I think the more experience you have, the more you will know what causes these bad runs so you can eliminate the precipitating factors. Do you keep a journal? This might help you to notice patterns that are not helpful to you. Remember that we all experience this, so you're not alone!
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