Sunny run

So I broke protocol and decided to run on my own yesterday. The sun was out and I needed some Vitamin D to make me happy. If I'm totally honest the thought of running in the dark again was just too much for me to take...added to that the fact that the temperature was due to get down to -39'C again. I just didn't wanna play, so I went out and had my first good run of the winter.

I ignored the watch, I stopped at stoplights, I ran for the joy of running. Something that's been missing lately. I've been working so hard, every run in a HR zone or at a target pace...I just don't seem to have any speed in me these days. I suspect I'm suffering from workout fatigue. I'm beat and all I wanna do is nothing.

The roads are shit this winter due to budget bureaucracy so I don't even feel comfortable on the road. I creep my way to home base and I usually see between 2-4 cars in the ditch or hung up on snow mountains...always facing the wrong direction.

I needed a run like yesterdays like I needed air. The sky was so blue, the air was crisp...and if I'm honest, still too cold when I was running into a head wind. -33'C may not be -50'C but lets be honest, cold is cold.

I passed other runners on the trail, waves and thumbs up were a plenty and it made me happy to feel like I was part of that community again. I danced at intersections not to keep warm, but because I was so freaking happy to just be running at that happy pace. People smiled, people snicked and one even honked and waved at my antics.

Yesterday I ran for my soul, I ran for the joy of it and when darkness fell I was never happier to not have to run in it. I've realized that one of the things that has made winter running easier for me in previous years is that I've ALWAYS run in the daylight. Did I miss my running buddies? Yup. Did I wish I'd been there with them? Sort of...maybe...not really.

So yesterday was neither a 10km tempo or a 7km steady. It was a 6.5km run in the sun. My average moving pace was between 12:00/12:30m/m...but my watch said it was a 13:54m/m pace average...but then I didn't stop the watch at lights...or snowdrifts...of photo ops. I ran for me, I ran for love, I ran because I could...and it felt brilliant.

I'm going to end with a quote that popped up in my facebook feed yesterday, that really hit home for me...so I want to make sure I can find it again when the spirits sink low again.


"One of the most important components of your training is the belief that you will succeed. It is so easy to decide to quit because of the feeling of failure, don't do it. Results are slow to show, but you will see them. Runs that feel like you are running in mud are normal, all runners have them. It can be deflating to read about other peoples runs and know you will never go that fast and you begin to doubt yourself. Don't do it, believe in yourself, be proud of YOUR results, and brag about your runs, you will be surprised how many people you will impress. You are STRONGER than you know." 

-Reist Mummau