I run for...positivity.

Tonight was a bad run. I have no shame in admitting that. Running is analogous to life in this way. It's not all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes you are going to have a bad day...or a bad run. Just remember that the person crossing the finishing line in first place probably had a bad run at some point in their training. I think it's important to experience the good along with the bad. Take, for instance, tonight's run.

Let me set up the bad for you...

1. I had no motivation to run.
2. I was tired from my hill workout from yesterday.
3. I was stressed about money issues.
4. My husband has an injury and goes to the doctor tomorrow. I'm stressed about that.
5. I'm on call this weekend. Already stressed about that.
6. It was HOT outside...90 degrees, felt like 95 degrees, runners feel it more like 100 degrees.
7. My only pair of running shorts were dirty.
8. Couldn't find a shirt that "fit right" so I had to wear a baggy cotton (read HOT) shirt.
9. My new UnderArmour hat that I just bought was too big.
10. I had massive heartburn, despite downing about 4 Tums, due to having Flaming Hot Cheetos for lunch.
11. I had Flaming Hot Cheetos for lunch.
12. Lunch was 6 hours prior to my run and I had "nothing" to eat.

Once I started running....

1. I didn't like the way my shirt felt.
2. My shoes were too loose.
3. The velcro on my arm band was rubbing my skin.
4. My ear phones kept getting twisted around my arm.
5. It was F-ing HOT!
6. My hair was soaked after about mile 1.
7. Freshly cut grass was making it hard to breathe.
8. I ran into about a million! (exaggeration) Pokemon Go players that had no consideration for me as runner trying to run by them on the sidewalk.
9. My water turned lukewarm about halfway through.
10. My lemon-lime Sport Beans made my heartburn about 3x worse.
11. Now take items 1-10 and play on repeat for 5 miles.

Now, somewhere in the last mile, this all started to fade away. Running has a way of doing this for me. The negativity is left on the pavement and replaced with positivity.  Was my run bad? Hard? Hot? Yes, all of the above. But I still have yet to regret a run, no matter how bad.

So here I am now soaking up the positive vibes....
1. Fan turned on me full blast.
2. Huge bottle of ice water.
3. Shot of pickle juice to replenish sodium and get rid of my heartburn.
4. Knowing that I ran 5 miles despite wanting to skip it all together.
5. Feeling stronger.
6. Looking forward to nice, cool Autumn runs.
7. Still on track in my training for my first 50K and prepping for my first 20 miler this weekend.
8. Less stress about all of the things that I was stressed about.
9. Jamming to good tunes on Spotify.
10. About to make an ammmmmmazing dinner, topped off with an ice cold beer.
11. Tomorrow is Friday!!!

And that in a nutshell is a big reason why I run. I am a better person because I run. It does for me what nothing else in my life ever has. That is why I am so passionate about sharing my running journey with others. Because I know what it has done in my life and I know what it can do for others. Running changes lives.