Addiction? Obsession?

By now, you probably have noticed your feelings toward running have begun to change. Instead of the dread and the million reasons why you can’t run, you begin to feel the opposite. You look forward to the short run days and think to yourself… “Great – a 4 mile run! The weather is cool and I can go fast! Maybe faster than I have ever gone before…” Or maybe you are into the part of your training where you are beginning to do longer runs – 10’s or more. Mileage that sounded crazy, insane to you a few months ago! If you follow a training schedule like mine, where every other week you have an increasing long run, you might be thinking things like… “Oh wow, next week I have a 16! I have never done a 16 before! Am I ready? I am scared! The schedule says to do it, I must be able to do it! Wow, if I do it, I will have gone a distance farther than I have ever gone before in my entire life!!!”

And you do it. And you get in better shape. And a funny thing happens. You become somewhat addicted to running.

Lots of things can interfere with your scheduled run. Work, family, injuries, travel… If you have to skip a day for some reason, you might find you become very upset with yourself. When this happens, just re-group. Here’s an example; last week I traveled on Monday and was busy on Tuesday. I missed a 5 and 3. So… time to refigure. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I ran a 5 each day. So M-F I got 15 in. The schedule said 5, 3, rest, 6, 3 on M-F. Total of 16. Saturday was a 10. I ran it, and my legs were tired, but I made it an easy run. Wasn’t my best, probably because I pushed with the three consecutive 5’s, but what the heck, I got the darn near most of the mileage in.

And there was no way anyone was going to talk me out of that Saturday run! This is the addiction part I mentioned earlier. I have a husband who is always trying to talk me out of my long runs, but there is no way! NO WAY!!! I have begun to look forward to those long runs. Quiet time all by myself, thinking about everything from my heart rate to work to family to issues that need sorting out. This is why I love to run alone. No talking, no one else’s pace to keep with. I run at whatever pace works for me that particular day and I can listen to my music or sort over thoughts. I have no idea where I found the time to actually think about things before I began to train!

If you haven’t reached the addiction point yet…trust me, it will come. And each milestone you pass, you will find a drive within you to make it to the next one. We have been at this for about 3 months now and look how far we have come! I am almost 70 % of the way to my February 26.2 goal.

There is another change that happens when you have been running for awhile. You become calmer in your center. You become stronger in your self. You know that you are doing something really good for you. You know that you are doing something that most of the population can or will not do. Self confidence increases. Self image becomes less about what you see in the mirror and more about your increasing performance. And no one, not NO ONE can take that from you! It yours, you are earning it, bit by bit, step by step, everyday and you are doing it all by yourself! And when you feel your leg muscles developing and hardening, satisfaction grows inside of you. That feeling becomes settled - less fleeting and perhaps that is the addictive part. Once you feel that strength, you never want to ever give it up.

And when that training schedule says run 3, away you go, get out of the way! And when the training schedule says 18, you say, ok... I am gonna do this...I'm nervous, but here I go... and before you know it you have done it. Something big, something you have never done before, something you would have never considered or imagined a few years ago! Addictive? Yes. A feeling that you begin to desire so strongly. And you begin to adjust everything in your life to achieve it. Better food, better sleep, better nutrition, better hydration.

Obession? Addiction? Whatever it is, it is real and a good thing. And it is a very special thing about runners.

And Triatheletes! Yesterday I had a great conversation with Melissa. I work with Melissa. Everyone loves Melissa! She is young and little and super cute and last year she decided to train for her first 1/2 Ironman Triatholon. Swim 1.6, Bike 56, Run 13.1. Ok, so she FINISHES with a 1/2 marathon!!!!! Well, she joined a club and trained for like a year and she did it. AWESOME! So we spoke yesterday and guess what? Melissa has decided to begin her training for the Arizona Ironman! Swim 2.4, Bike 112, Run -26.2 a COMPLETE MARATHON AT THE END! Unbelievable! I am so incredibly proud of her and I will be there at the finish line to CHEER HER ON!!!! It is amazing what you can do when you set that goal and put your head down and just follow the instructions. Go Melissa! And welcome to our little club...! : )