Wow, now that was a struggle!! (UGH)!

Yesterday I had the worst run!!  Almost immediately I knew I was in trouble.  Once a week I run with a teacher I work with.  We will be running the Rock n River half marathon together in May.  Our run yesterday was a tiny bit over 6 miles, and we have done this particular route several times together with no problem, and additionally, I have done a 7.25 mile run a few times on my “long” weekend run problem free as well.  But we hadn’t gone two blocks before I started feeling more winded than usual.  As we continued into the 2^nd mile, I told Veronica, “I hope I can do this!  I’m dying!”  Her response was, “If we have to walk, we will.”  That’s the beauty of having a good friend to run with (or walk with, or bike with, or workout in the gym with), but that’s a blog all in itself.  So, as I trudged along in the beginning of that 2^nd mile, my legs started to feel like I was running though thick sand (heavy and fatigued), and I still couldn’t breathe well.  One word, MISERABLE, and nowhere near the end of the run!  As we started up that first hill, I was approaching a miniature mental panic attack.  What I mean is I was having this internal conversation with myself, “You can’t do this.  This is awful. You have to quit.” And on and on…  I was trying not to be too whiny in front of Veronica, but I couldn’t help it!!  Lol.  At one point probably at about 4 ½ miles and up a big hill, I finally said, “I do need to walk for a minute.”  So we walked the rest of the way up the hill, and finished up the run actually running (even though every step I wanted to stop).  I did start to feel a little better after I got though that initial wall (the first 4 plus miles – ha ha), but if Veronica hadn’t have been with me, I surely would have given up. 

I’m sharing this with you because sometimes this is just part of a fitness routine.  You hit a wall.  It may be a run.  It may be a swim.  It may be a weight workout.  Some days it’s just going to be harder.  Your body may not have gotten the proper fuel for that day.  You may be slightly dehydrated.  You may not have slept well.  You may be getting sick, or getting better from having been sick.  Whatever the reason, occassionally it happens.  When experiencing a wall, I’d like to encourage you to keep going.  Do not let this discourage you short term or long term.  Walls only happen every once in a while.  If you’ve set aside the time to do an hour workout at the gym, finish your workout.  Now obviously, if you are sick and weak from an illness then go home and go to bed.  But if it is just one of those “this is miserable” days, then bite your lip and finish the task.  If you’ve committed to do a run, finish it.  If you need an extra breather, then take that breather, but do your best to finish (even if you have to slow down to do it).  Why you ask?  For one, you will have such a since of accomplishment.  It was hard, but you got through it.  You are strong and capable.  All too often we have the tendency to give up when it gets tough.  And this goes for all areas of our lives.  But you persevered and were successful.  Secondly, getting though a really difficult work out makes the regular ones so much more pleasant.  Aside from my external and internal whining yesterday, I was also made aware of how much that temporary misery makes me appreciate a regular workout.  That is huge!  The third reason I am sharing this with you is to let you know this happens to everyone who works out regularly.  Fortunately, it doesn’t happen all the time, but everyone is prone to a "more than usual struggle" once in a while (aka: a wall).

Goal:  To accept and be thankful for unusually difficult workouts, and to persevere, get stronger, and accomplish what you’ve set out to do!! 

Shannon