I went for a run today.
While the rest of my city quietly slept off New Year’s Eve, I was climbing what seemed like Himalayan ice mounds and maneuvering my way over partially-shoveled sidewalks.
It was cold. Eleven degrees above zero. My nose started running almost as soon as I stepped outside.
And throughout the first half of this run, I kept thinking, “Man, why am I doing this? Most sane people are indoors right now. Why the heck am I out here? Yahoo weather says it’s eleven degrees above zero. This is a drag. The wind is really gonna be tough on the way back. Do I have enough layers on? I sure hope I don’t fall. Why couldn’t those people shovel their sidewalks?”
Those were my thoughts. I was whining pathetically about being out in the cold. Then I remembered what an experienced marathoner told me last July. He said, “You do know that running is 99 percent in your head, don’t you?” I just nodded. But today was the day that I knew that running is way more mental than physical. I knew that, if I was going to complete this run, I had to adjust my thinking. I knew I needed to remind myself the real reasons for my suffering through the pain of wintertime running.
And so I started talking to myself. Instead of whining about the cold conditions, I began to think about what I really want out of my running.
My most immediate reason for “doing this” is that I’m preparing for a half marathon in sixteen days, and I want to stick to my schedule. I want to do as well as I possibly can and I want to achieve my goals for this race to the best of my ability.
My second reason for “doing this” is that I like a challenge. Running outdoors in the winter can be a challenge. Right now, it’s particularly challenging because the snow from last week’s blizzard hasn’t melted, the north wind is brutal, and the overall temperature is really, really cold. So after each run, I return to my apartment feeling exhilarated, knowing that I really accomplished something!
But finally, running is fun, regardless of the season. And that’s what I focused on today. “Running is fun. Running is fun. I like to run. Running is fun,” were the words I said to myself, over and over and over. And fun it is!
It’s fun to cross paths with other runners and feel like we’re part of an elite club--the few, the proud, the January runners. It’s fun to enjoy the snow men (and snow dogs) in people’s yards. It’s fun to think about where I was 45 pounds ago, and where I am today, and to know that running has played a big role in achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Someone said, “Running tells us the good news about ourselves.” That’s true.
Running makes me feel good.
Running makes me happy.
Running makes me smile.
Up Next: On New Year’s Resolutions
