Doubt

I skipped a day I was supposed to run. So there you have it. I feel dirty, I feel like I have cheated myself, and there is a little voice on my shoulder that is whispering ‘you might never run again!’ As absurd as that sounded a few days ago, it is a tiny little fear.

For the first time ever I can see myself logically coming up with excuses why I can’t run… I have to build my fence before it starts raining… I should visit my father who just got out of the hospital… etc… What the heck happened to me? The bottom line is I could always rationalize a reason why I should be doing something else, but I just have to keep focused on my goal.

Was it the article I read on slate.com by Gabriel Sherman on how newbies are ruining marathons? http://www.slate.com/id/2149867/?GT1=8592 or perhaps the horrid run I had on Tuesday where for the first time I was so hot, so tired, and has such a stitch in my side that I considered stopping a mile from home. I have never once stopped in all my training so far. Well… I stop at intersections when I have to cross the street, but other than that I have motored on. It is important to me, because I am not sure if I stopped once if I would ever start again. Is that weird?

I did learn that I should probably be a little careful after running a half marathon. That was more miles than I was ready for, and even though I felt fine, my body had a serious case of the ass two days later on my next 5 mile run.

By the way… that Gabriel Sherman article was a joke. It might have been something that could go over at a private meeting of ‘elite-runners-R-US’, but I think Gabriel either miscalculated the actual audience of the piece, or is just an asshole. I find it hard that anyone could actually be that big of an asshole, so I will surmise it wasn’t intended for us ‘sluggish marathon ruining newbies.’ Oh, by the way Gabriel, your ego was blocking my view of Mt Hood this morning.