Moms get to know their children pretty well as they are growing up. Just as the children get to know how to push their Mom’s buttons, the Mom’s come to know just what the perfect thing to restrict their child from for the ultimate punishment. For me this thing was running. My Mom knew it and she would actually ground me from it.
Years later, restricting me from running is still the ultimate punishment. My Mom, who reads my blog regularly, is no longer what keeps me from running. She has since taken up cycling and now knows the value of having an outlet from the regular stressors of life. She knows that my running is getting me through the hard times, and allowing me to do something just for me. There are just times when there just isn’t any room in the day for a run, or perhaps the runs are cut short, or restricted in some other way. These past couple of weeks have been filled with restrictions to my running schedule.
I was feeling the pressure at work again today. The time off to interview has negatively impacted my work load. I need to catch up. I could try to make time to run after work, or I could take some work home to do after work. It wasn’t a hard decision.
Instead of working through lunch, I decided to head out again with Mark. I quickly rubbed on my sunscreen, pulled my hair up into a bun and made for the door. With little 3-4 mile runs all week, it hardly feels like I am running at all. Mark didn’t run at all on his 3-week African safari. I guess they don’t want the tourists getting eaten by the wildlife. Mark didn’t want to push distance or pace too quickly and I can’t say that I blame him. Besides, it is hot, hot, HOT outside. It’s another “spare the air” day and the temperature is due to get up to 92 degrees today. Still it is hard to not run longer than 4 miles for days on end.
Later, I was daydreaming about the upcoming weekend. Rest and running. While I was making my plans to run another 8-10 miler, I received an email from Cindy. She wanted to know if she could join me on my Sunday run. Her email wasn’t just asking to join me though; her email had qualifiers. I couldn’t be going too far OR too fast.
I haven’t yet responded to Cindy’s email. I just don’t know where I am at with that. I’ve felt like I have been held back all week. Due to having been restricted to short and slow all week, I *want* to run far and fast this weekend. I am sure that we can work something out, even if it is just agreeing for each of us to do our own thing.
Still it is hard to not run longer than 4 miles for days on end.
Tell Cindy what you are doing and invite her to hang with you as long as she wants or can. The other option is to plan a run where you start out with her but then she turns back early while you continue on. That way you can use your time with Cindy as a warm up and then really put the pedal to the metal. Either way, take what you want and do NOT let anyone hold you back. You deserve this run.
I was going to recommend the same thing. Tell Cindy to meet you for part of your run, either the first part or the second and that way you both win and you can run at least part of it at your pace.
Thanks for the suggestions. Cindy is actually very capable of blowing me out of the water, but she is an exercise crazy girl. We do usually do was you both have suggested and I have since sent the email with my plan. She won’t be joing me because I am going to early and she has a 2.4 mile SWIM in the morning.