Sometimes, It Just Clicks

Holy Smokes!
So yesterday, being Tuesday, was arguably my most dreaded workout of the week - Track Day. It very nearly didn't happen. I still consider myself to be in a running funk. The funk gets shaken up a little here and there when I get to do fun things like race, but for the most part I feel firmly plateau-ed. Walled. Lethargic. Un-motivated. So, when faced with the decsion to run really fast around the track yesterday or not, the decision seemed clear.

I grudgingly put on my running garb anyway, and walked (meandered, really) down to the track. After my 1 mile warm up, I was still undecided as to what exactly I was doing down there. I could cop out and do 4 short little 400s like last week, I could run some mile repeats, or I could try to knock out some 800s like I haven't done in what feels like ages. I stretched out, started my timer and took off. I didn't feel like I was moving particularly fast at all. I felt relaxed. And I hadn't really even decided what my workout would be until I hit the 400 mark and realized that I was right on track for sub-3:30 minute 800 (this is always the goal. I wrote about it here a while back). So, I figured "Why not?" If I felt like stopping, I would. By that time I had already done more than I thought I would.

And then the amazing happened! Behold, my track workout:

Warm-Up: 1 mile @7:44

800s
1 - 3:25

2 - 3:22

3 - 3:19

4 - 3:24

5 - 3:26

6 - 3:22

Cool Down: 1 mile @ 8:06

Go me. I don't know if any of these numbers I throw up here every once in a while make any sense to any of the rest of the world, but they make momma happy. Honestly, up until the last two repeats I didn't even really feel like I was giving it my all - and that says something since I hate running repeats on the track and it is never easy.

But, What Does It All Mean?
That I'm out of my running funk? That I'll be magically faster at my next race? That I can take today off? (oops...that already happened. My bad) Probably not. What it means is that for the first time in weeks I feel happy with myself after a run. It means that I did something I honestly didn't think I was capable of doing. Which leads me to question other things that I didn't think I could do - shoot, maybe running this thing in 3:30 is possible. Ok, maybe that's a little ambitious, but you get the picture.

And speaking of pictures, I feel bad when I write a lot about nothing particularly interesting and don't throw in some pictures for you. So I'll leave you with this:


That's Yours Truly Circa 2001. If you didn't know me then (or any time between the ages of 13-20), here's a glimpse. Blue hair. I LOVED it. I would still LOVE it. As soon as I'm retired or am independently wealthy, the blue hair will come back. Believe it.