I wasn’t going to do my long run yesterday at all. It was Father’s day, and I wanted to put the focus of my day on my husband and not be selfish about working out. I did just that…until at 9pm the day was winding to a close, and I was feeling bloated from eating way too many carbs. I don’t usually eat many carbs on my non-workout days. But I had eaten a ton of bing cherries, followed by some french bread, and finally a brownie with ice cream on top. UGGH – I needed to burn those calories off!
So, I decided to go out for my 9 mile long run in the dark. I grabbed a small halogen flashlight to light the way and headed out the door.
Too many carbs always makes me feel sluggish and crappy. One reason I don’t like to overdo it on the carbs before my races! I was slogging through this run at a pace of 12+. I really hate slogging through long runs – I feel it just trains my body to slog, not to run.
What I like to do on my long runs,is to “play” with the Pose running method by trying to add a little bit of lean to my posture, and grab the feel of gravity. Whenever I do this, my heart rate goes up and I can’t maintain it for long. My Pose running coach said I have to let go of the fear of falling. So, I’ve been trying to get to that point of leaning and feeling gravity, then try to “let go” and relax and hold it in a relaxed way. Then, when it feels hard, start over.
I started doing this little Pose running exercise in the dark. Very, very bad idea. I stopped paying attention to aiming the flashlight in front of me – and WHAM – I tripped and fell on my knee.
This put me in a very bad mood, and I was already feeling crappy about my pace. So, by mile 7, I was in a very negative space, thinking “I suck at running”, “Why do I even bother trying”…etc. I snapped myself out of it by reminding myself that at least I was burning off all those calories, and I can’t expect every workout to be stellar.
After a while, I recalled what I’d read in the Total Immersion Swimming book:
And the moment your speed, effort, or fatigue causes you to feel “disconnected,” it’s time to slow down and regain your flow. Never… ever… “practice struggle.”
…Terry Laughlin, author of Total Immersion Swimming
That makes alot of sense for running, too. So, I stopped and walked the last mile home. It’s fun to walk in the dark with a flashlight. No so fun running.
Luckily, my knee is just skinned – I don’t think it did any damage to my joint. Phew! Last time I fell on my knee, it took MONTHS to heal.
PS: It was only 80 degrees, my skin felt cool, yet I was sweating buckets. What’s up with that?
I love it! It’s comforting to know that we all have these moments, and I’ve certainly experienced a spill or two when my thoughts wander and I stop paying attention. “Never… ever… ‘practice struggle.'” I will remember that next time I’m feeling terrible on a run or in the pool. Thanks!