"I Was Running!": 5:3

I FREAKIN' DID IT!!!

I ran 20 minutes without stopping! In 95 degree weather! (no joke.)

My back was hurting a little yesterday morning, so M decided to use the electric massager to massage my back. Then he decided to do my legs. Remember those strings in my pelvis connecting my legs to my body??? Well, we discovered VERY tight tendons running in the "posterior" inside of my legs. Um, hello cause-of-my-shin-splints-and-knee-pain!

I went and bought some running shorts. Shorter than I would have liked (there was a day when shorts couldn't get too short for me, so it was odd to me to be looking for "longer" running shorts. . . ) but maybe my legs will get tan while they're also keeping cool without all that cotton fabric clinging to them.

Even though that little massaging "procedure" made my right calf/shin ache, I decided to go today. Even though it was 89 degrees when I woke up, 92 when I left, and 95 when I returned.

I had a little pep talk with my body before I got going. It went something like "OK. C'mon body. Don't let me down. We can do this!" And my body said "yes we can!" by giving a tiny rush of drugs to my system. Before I even started running. My body is awesome!

And so, I ran. I first looked at the watch at 7:48. Then at 9:30. I was trying to decide whether or not to cross the street as I've always done or come back the same side I usually run up on. I opted to turn a little circle at the end of my route and double back on the shady side of the street. This ended up being a good choice for a couple of reasons.

First, I got to run in the spotty shade of the trees. Second, you know how a trail doesn't look the same coming as it does going? Turns out that's a good little preemptive mental trick to pull when you fear your mind might try to one-up you with its own tricks. (For instance, the side streets on my route are alphabetized. And sometimes, I start thinking "oh crap! I'm only at G. I have to get all the way to P before I can stop. Yeah. It bites.)

By interrupting this little pity party of the mind, I preempted all such nonsense and my mind was a little discombobbled and too freakin' tired to try to figure it out. In short, I forced my mind to play along with my body. That mind can be a right old bully. . .

Third, when I was nearing 19:00, I was also nearing the last side street on the east side of the street - the same side street that's kind of a short cut home. I figured I would run the rest of my time on that side street and short cut it home. Small thing, but that was a bonus for being on that side of the street.

Sure, I was tired. Sure, I wanted to quit. When I started compulsively checking my watch at around 14:40 and then again at 15:46, I sternly told myself "stop that!" And I kept going. I thought "what a waste it would be to come this far and stop now when I'm SO close to making the 20 minute mark.

I freakin' did it!!

And I stretched my legs like a mother when I got home. Sadly, they are still achey and tight.

Next week:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: