Running Ouch and a List

Today's run was Couch to 5k, Week 4, Day 3. After doing days 1 and 2 this week, I found that today's run was a difficult one. It was more difficult than I expected because my muscles were rebelling from the running, and my lungs were rebelling from the running, and well, basically the body was in revolution mode and I was not able to stop it. So, instead I kept running. Silly, I know, but I was really proud of myself for doing all of the expectations of the week - against my body's wishes.

While I was running, I kept thinking of all the reasons why I hate running. Then I would tell myself to shut up. Following this, I would think of all the reasons why I was not going to be able to keep running, again followed by a firm, "shut up." This moved into why I was a bad runner, with a final, "Shut up. I'm doing this, which is more than I could have said last month." My inner-critic then promptly shut up, just as my quads began to complain and I would start again at the beginning of it all.

So, to combat this cycle, which occurred throughout the run, I decided to make a list to remind me what my life would be like if I chose to stop running. Here is that list

Reasons why I hate to not run:

1. I get grouchy if I don't exercise. Sad, but true.

2. I get emotional if I don't exercise, meaning that I become unexplicably mood-swingy (this changes when I do run, in case you were wondering).

3. If I do not exercise, it usually means I am spending my time elsewhere - helpful for others, detrimental for me because I need some me-time to do what I want to do, rather than what I have to do. If I do not take time to refill my emotional well, it becomes dry and I have nothing else to give to others (which pretty much explains 1 and 2).

4. Not running makes me feel like a chubby shlub who's squishy and weak.

5. On the days I don't run, I also don't listen to music or talks on tape, which make me unhappy because I like both of those things.

6. Running helps me make Vitamin D because I'm out in the sunshine. When I don't run, I feel deprived of this vitamin, and the sunshine.

7. If I do not run I have less energy through the day, so I get less done.

8. I want to sleep more when I don't exercise. Often, these naps take 1.5 to 2 hours, whereas exercise only takes .5 to 1 hour. So, when I don't run I lose time unnecessarily from my day.

9. When I don't run I start to feel guilty about what I am eating, and I make poorer food choices. Something about exercising helps me appreciate what goes into my body more, so I start putting better fuel in, which helps me to feel better.

10. I get more headaches when I do not run. I am not certain if this is because exercise strengthens muscle groups in my back (thereby preventing headaches), or because running decreases stress levels (thereby preventing headaches). Whatever it is, it's totally true. Before I started exercising regularly, I was getting 2-3 headaches a week, which were painful and often incapacitating to the point I had to just go to bed and pray they were gone in the morning. Since I started exercising a month ago, I have only had 2-3 headaches TOTAL. Pretty good, I think.

One of the things that got me through today's crazy run was the quote, " Impossible is just a stupid word everybody uses because they are afraid to try." This was said by Serge Roetheli (pictured above with his wife on her motorcycle), who literally ran around the world. It took him 5 years to do it, but HE RAN AROUND THE WORLD! Pretty amazing stuff. You can watch a super motivational video of him here: Beyond the Epic Run - Serge Roetheli and Dean Karnazes

Here's to running, my friends, and a happier life!