The run was slow going. I had stayed up too late the night before and basically have not been taking very good care of myself lately. At mile marker 1, I was at about a 10:50 minute per mile pace. But I was feeling good, breathing steadily, and was actually enjoying my run.
Long-legged Molly picked it up (she's such a good runner and a good friend - I love that girl), and I was left with my thoughts, the view, and the sounds of my feet pounding on the gravel and my breaths breathing in and out. I just focused on relaxing and on stopping the limiting thoughts that keep me feeling like I have to run at a certain slow pace. The irony is that once I stopped resisting and thinking too hard, I was actually able to run faster than I usually do without much more effort.
I was reminded of a quote from Danny Dreyer's Chi Running book, and it was this basic concept that I focused on during my run on Saturday:
"I've been using the theme of Relaxation to learn to run more effortlessly and, also to see how it applies to the rest of my life as well. So far it seems to apply in every situation. As long as I stay relaxed and centered, I more easily accomplish any job set before me -- whether it's running a 10K, cooking a meal, or commuting in rush-hour traffic. It seems so much easier to do anything when you offer up no resistance to doing it, especially when it's something that you don't like to do! If my legs offer no resistance, the run happens as it should. If I offer no resistance, my life happens as it should" (pg. 56).
On that run, I was offering no resistance. I was focusing on my body and how it felt to run. When I developed a painful side-stitch at mile 4.5, I just focused on deep breathing through my nose, and within minutes, the pain was gone. I focused on form and on being 100% present to what I was doing, which was running. And amazingly, I had no knee pain and was able to pick up my pace. I finished the 6 miles in about 59 minutes, which means I was able to pick up my pace to faster than an 11 minute per mile pace. Of course, the run back from the 3 mile marker was mostly downhill, which helped! But usually downhill wreaks major havoc on my knees (stupid FLAT feet)! But no, Saturday was a good run!
And I know that during the next 20 weeks, I will have some horrible, painful, should-have-stayed-in-bed kind of runs, but I suppose it is all a part of the journey. I need to stop resisting and trying to control what I do or don't do. And this motto needs to extend beyond my workouts. I know that when I stop resisting, life happens. And how much more peaceful and calm and enjoyable is life when I'm not kicking and screaming and resisting?!
But this is just all a part of the process. And I can't get caught up in what everyone else is doing and what I'm "not" doing. This is about me and my journey to that finish line in June. It's about pushing myself to limits that I have yet to experience. It's about finding out what I'm truly made of. Can I do this? Yes, I think that I can.
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