Today’s Run
Time – 35:03
Distance – 3.6 miles
Pace – 9:35 min/mi
Elevation – Treadmill at 1%
Treadmill run set on easy. Just a light jog to work out the legs after the hard group run the day before. The lack of sleep the previous night probably made this harder than it should have been, but the run wasn’t too painful. Just mentally tiring.
Treadmills are for those who want the miles…
Treadmills are exercise for the body and the mind. Mental fortitude is a requirement some days, because you don’t have the luxury of needing to run home to force the rest of the run. I think this is why I get such good mileage when running outside. I’m too stubborn to turn around and run back the way I came, which means I only have to convince myself to start down the next street in order to get some additional mileage.
This is also why I don’t like out-and-back runs most times. If my desire wanes a little bit, I know that I just need to turn around. Doing a loop requires that you keep going in order to get to the end and be back where you started.
Treadmills, on the other hand, just let you step off when you don’t want to do it anymore. This is really difficult to overcome some days. Running isn’t always easy or fun, and the act of pushing through and continuing is sometimes harder than the actual running.
It’s amazing how much can go into accomplishing goals. There’s so much that doesn’t get thought about when planning. Even the simple things, like the willpower to keep going, doesn’t always get added to the checklist. Desire is a huge part of being successful and getting things done. Without it, too many times, activities get started but don’t get resolved.
This is one of my big struggles: the closeout, pushing through till completion. This is also why I like running so much. It teaches me to keep going and get the job done, even when the willpower is flagging.
I Will Run Today 