The Worst Run...so far.

Okay.  So maybe it wasn't exactly my "worst run EVER" but it was close to one of the worst I've had ever since I have started running.  Why?  Well, I'm not exactly sure but I'd guess it was a combination of a few things.  I had a stressful week...hubby was out of town for work most of the week, we all have had head colds, and it has been a long, sometimes frustrating week.  Lack of sleep this week of course magnified things too...and lack of sleep always makes things seems worse than they are.

All that being said, I was looking forward to heading out the door this morning.  I wasn't sure how far I'd get but knew I wanted to get out the door and take advantage of the great weather. Ugh.  Not to be.  I headed out to start my run in a bad mood...something that rarely happens but I kept telling myself, my mood would turn around the more I ran.  At about 5 km, I still wasn't feeling it.  At 10 km...I felt awful but was determined to keep going...my mind and body just weren't into it, and I was totally frustrated with myself.

By the time I hit 14 km, I ended up call my husband to come and pick me up.  Ran for another couple of km until he picked me up.  Deflated.  A 16 km run which felt so awful that it could have been 100 km. 

Hubs reminded me...this is one run...and think about all of the other runs I've done that have been great.  Think back to ATB, he said...think back to all of the other long runs, the short ones, the impromptu ones...it's never about one run.

 And it's true, isn't it?  It's never about just "one run" but it's funny how in the moment, we can convince ourselves that it's truly so disappointing and devastating that it makes us doubt our overall abilities and successes.  I think I'm probably like most people that you usually have such a limited window to get that long run in...if it doesn't happen, it's especially disappointing because it's not easy to do at another point during the week.

Anyway, so I got home, feeling deflated but also knowing that I'm probably better off for calling him for a ride rather than try to push myself and end up injuring myself or something. 

It's very funny the way things work out though.  I was feeling grumpy and disappointed.  Then,  I looked on Runkeeper and noticed something.  With today's entry...it exactly put me at 500 km for the year.

 

 

I'll take it as a sign to be less hard on myself.  Or at least try to be less hard on myself.

 

Was today's run what I wanted it to be?  Not in the least.  But I went out...and ran for almost two hours...despite wanting to talk myself of even stepping out the door. 

 

And guess what? When I didn't even expect to, I reached a new milestone.

 

I'll take it...the good with the bad....I'll still take it.