“Replace ‘have to’ with ‘get to’ for a change in perspective.”
Some people think running sucks. I respectfully disagree but I’m not here to have that argument. For the sake of this blog, we’re all in agreement that running is good.
For those who don’t agree and stand firm on the notion of running as a suckfest, allow me to share with you what sucks worse than running – not running.
Whether you’re in the thick of race training or simply enjoy going for a good run, there are few things in this world that suck worse than not running. FOMOR, Fear of Missing Out on Running, is real.
While I don’t mean this to be another blog about finding the good in bad situations, it’s sort of going that direction. But I promise there’s no fake “motivation” message or anything like that.
Sick day snuggles with the culprit who gave it to me.
Last week, I was minding my own business, enjoying peak week for Grandma’s Marathon and getting ready for my 20-miler on Saturday. After a legit 18-miler the weekend before, I was feeling confident and excited – and a little nervous and dreading it, of course.
Then, out of nowhere, the stomach flu hit me. And I mean HIT me.
Whether it’s because I’m getting older, I’ve been training hard, I have a one-year-old to care for, and a combination of several factors that perhaps add up to I don’t really have it all together as I like to think, this one hit me like a ton of bricks.
I could barely get out of bed the first two days. I had zero interest in eating. I attempted to work a bit both days and I could barely get anything done. It was bad.
Throughout all the Pepto, forced fluids, and trips to the bathroom, I couldn’t help feeling the worst about the inevitable fact: there’d be no 20-miler for me on Saturday. And, as it would turn out, Sunday wasn’t in the cards either.
As I started to feel a bit better on Saturday, I felt the worst about not being out there putting in my miles. It’s one thing to have to take a sick day from work, it’s worse having to take one from running…on the biggest run of the training period.
Saturday was so hard and I felt pretty down for most of it.
Yes, nearly every time, the thing that sucks most about running is not being able to do it.
But, as we must do with everything in life, it’s all about perspective and focusing on what we can control vs. falling into the trap of sorryness for what we can’t.
What it all means is we’re now looking at peak week: take two. I’ll refocus efforts, look at the past few days as unplanned but valuable rest, and go for my longest long run on Saturday. It also means I start my taper a week later, something I’ve done before and I can do again.
If nothing else, I hope this experience will make my 20-miler a little bit better. Don’t get me wrong, parts of it will still suck. I mean, it’s still running 20 miles in June. I’m not here to pretend that’s going to be all Reese’s and Cheez-Its.
But there will be even more gratitude about the opportunity that I get to be out there vs. feeling like I have to be out there. A good dose of perspective.
Have you ever been in this situation, missing a run or workout when you really wanted to do it? The comments are for you so please leave one. Or connect with me on Twitter @LindsayIRL.