Although the forecast was for rain, it was a sunny morning. I rolled over, put my arm over my eyes to block out the sun, and went back to sleep. I wasn?t out drinking last night, nor was I up late ? but I sure was exhausted. By 9 a.m. Tom and I were out of bed enjoying our cups of coffee. The kids were up and I my plan for running was pushed to an unknown time.
Tom and I did some household chores, and I reviewed my training schedule carefully. I decided to make a last minute change. Next weeks long run was a scheduled step-back week. I decided to run 11 miles today instead of running 15 miles. This will mean that next Sunday?s run will call for 16 miles. At 1 p.m. I was heading to the local trail to get my run in. By this point the black clouds loomed in the sky and threatened rain.
I wasn?t at all into it. I hit the trail to find many people rushing back towards their cars as the rain was just starting. Why had I waited so long to get going? Today was not looking like a day when I was happy to be out running. Instead it was a day that I was going through the motions, feeling isolated from the world, and just getting it done.
I know that it sounds miserable, but it really wasn?t like that at all. By the time I hit mile 2, the rain had stopped. And even though I had been tempted to cut my newly shortened mileage short, I DID complete the distance. Training for a marathon is not all fun and games. It?s hard work. It?s getting out there when you don?t want to and doing it anyways. I am proud to say that, even though I made a last minute change in plans, I was able complete another week of training.