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Why do you do this to yourself?

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Why do you do this to yourself?

  • Your legs feel like they weigh about 200 pounds… each.
  • Everyone is running faster than you… except for those who are slower but still.
  • Everyone is wearing shorts and a t-shirt, why are you wearing layers and pants? Of course there are those who are wearing sweats, but they’re just insane.
  • Wouldn’t sitting on the couch watching TV be a lot more fun?
  • Or what about all the work you have to do still?
  • There are puddles everywhere. You can’t get your new, bright running shoes wet and dirty.
  • Stupid, the chiropractor told you not to run as much so you can feel better from your dumb snow tubing injury…
  • You’re tired from staying up until 1AM watching the Bachelor finale.

You do this to yourself because…

  • Even though you ran 8+ on Sunday, went to barre class yesterday, you can.
  • Someone needs to make the faster runners feel good about themselves by going slower than them.
  • You don’t like being cold and you’d rather sweat than be cold. Plus, who is used to running in 50 degree weather anyway?
  • Indulging in that bowl of ice cream later while sitting on the couch watching TV will be that much more rewarding and guilt-free.
  • Your work is at the office and it will still be there tomorrow. You will just have to work extra hard during the day.
  • At least it’s not raining and if you wear out these shoes, you can get new ones in a brighter, more obnoxious color.
  • Someone has to keep him in business and plus, you like your ice maker so much, you’re looking forward to icing your back afterwards.
  • Duh, if Sean Lowe can find time to run while taping the show, it should be easy for you to find time. And have you seen his abs?
However, in all seriousness, I do this to myself because I can, because I enjoy it, because Josh is still at work, because some crazy person signed herself up for at least two more half-marathons and two marathons this year, because if I didn’t you’d (my two followers) see it on my blog that I hadn’t run in days (and that’d be embarrassing!), and more importantly, I run because it’s my time to remind myself how lucky I am and to thank my grandma for getting me into this mess!
P.S. I also run because I cannot take for granted the view I am so fortunate to see every day.
Do you ever have one of those runs where nothing feels right? How do you overcome the physical and mental roadblock?

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade…

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Well folks, I talked about routine last week and this week was definitely the opposite of that.

I was talking to a couple of co-workers the afternoon before I left for my first work road trip about our feelings about being on-the-road. My thoughts were, in a perfect world, my weekdays would be spent working, going for a good distance run and/or some kind of cross training and then spending the evening at home in my sweats eating a balanced home cooked meal and enjoying some of my favorite television shows with Josh. However, when life gives you lemons (or when I’m out of my routine), you learn to make lemonade.

The first stop of my trip was Delaware and despite not being able to find a good locale to run outside, I managed to get a speed workout done on a hotel treadmill. Impressive, I must say. First, I generally loathe treadmills and second, rarely do I find one that is the perfect size for me. I realize that sounds crazy but I like the front of the treadmill to be a certain height and for there to be enough space for me to store my keys (or in this case a room card), phone, water, and a towel. My last hotel stay before this one was in Hamburg, NY (about 20 miles outside of Buffalo) and there were three treadmills (no weights or any other equipment) in the “fitness center” and only one of them was working. Also, keep in mind, the “fitness center” was in the entrance to the pool, so the room smelled like chlorine. Needless to say, no one was happy that I wanted to run in that room, but I did end up going two miles after forcing one of the windows to open and only giving up because the treadmill was probably older than me and every time I moved, it squeaked.

Anyway, I was impressed that I completed a speed workout on a hotel treadmill. I can’t say the rest of the my trip was that successful in terms of running, but despite eating very unhealthy for the last two days in Atlantic City (yes, that was the last stop of my work trip) and driving for 2.5+ hours today, I did squeeze in over eight miles tonight, thank you daylight savings time! I did have high hopes of running on the Atlantic City boardwalk this morning, but no thank you daylight savings time, I couldn’t get up early enough.

With my first work travel stint under my belt, I can definitely say that I learned a lot personally about my on-the-road routine which will hopefully help me when I kick off fall travel this year in the middle of NYC Marathon training season. Some of the key lessons I learned this weekend was about how to pick a decent hotel (that is not just clean and within travel budget) that gives me the ability to still maintain my training routine:

  • A hotel with a fitness that doesn’t charge you an additional fee to use it
  • A clean fitness center that has hopefully a modern treadmill in a room with windows, water, and towels
  • Or a hotel that is near a place where I can run outside
  • A hotel that offers a well-balanced breakfast (and it’s even better if it is already included in your room rate)
My breakfast at an Embassy Suites in Delaware – egg white omelette with spinach, pepper, mushrooms, a little bit of ham and cheese, cantaloupe, a pancake, potatoes, and a cup of coffee

What do you do for a workout / training when you’re away from home?