There is definitely a rhythm to running that includes solid weeks of running and crummy-feeling weeks of running. I have hit a rough patch in my running and am in that crummy-feeling stage of running. I can’t control when this happens and, this time around, it’s especially frustrating because I’ve got three half marathons coming up and I’m stuck in a pattern of thinking that goes something like this:
Running is hard and it sucks and it’s awful and I can’t wait to take a break, but I know that I would be miserable taking a break, so let’s just think about how sucky it is while being grateful I get to run in the first place. Also, you are chosing to run, so suck it up.
I want to feel strong and ready to race and I know I will get there again, but I don’t know when. What this has meant for my runs lately is that my runs have been self-therapy sessions where I talk myself through each run, break down what’s challenging me, and try to reframe those challenges into small victories. It has also given me the opportunity to acknowlege my tendency to overreact when things feel hard. One way I did this was to break down what it meant to have a “bad” run and how that run differs from a “good” and “so-so” run.
Let me tell you the ugly truth: I’m an exaggerator and tend to call my “so-so” runs “bad” runs. Since this ah-ha moment there has been a shift. My getting clear on the distinctions between the different types of runs has made it easier to accept each run for what it is (fact: running is not an emotion itself) and not for what it’s trying to do to me (fact: running is not trying to kill me). I thought I’d share my running definitions with you all and encourage you to define your types or blocks of runs as well; we runners are in this together and we need to remind one another about what really matters in this sport (fact: you are more than a run).
The Bad
Runs where I’ve developed a side stitch that won’t go away.
Having to stop completely.
Crying on the run because the run feels like an uphill battle.
Texting people while on the run to tell them just how bad the run is going.
The Good, Maybe Even Great
The run doesn’t necessarily feel easy, but the effort feels easier.
Runs where I feel like I am flying, floating, or gliding.
Runs where the miles zoom by.
Runs where I wish the run did not have to end.
Runs that are all about the experience and I am so distracted by what’s going on around me that I don’t even notice the miles (aka Disney runs).
The So-So
Every day, put-in-the-work runs.
Neutral emotions runs: “just get it done” or “the sooner you start, the sooner you finish.”
Not particularly memorable, aka “going through the motions.”
Mixed emotions runs: runs that start off strong, but you end up feeling like a survivor or runs that start off challenging, but you end up feeling like a conqueror.
How do you define bad runs, good runs, and so-so runs? Are they similar or different to my defintions? Comment and let me know.