Blame it on the rain…
A little gem from 2011 as we head into the holiday weekend….
If you’re not familiar with Daily Mile, it’s a training log that records your runs by asking where you ran, how far and for how long you ran, and how you’d rate it: great, good, alright, blah, injured. Then it asks the broad question, “How did it go?” Like most online training logs, it’s a great way to see your cumulative miles add up and your progress with each workout.
What I don’t particularly like about it–and it’s totally my (self-esteem) problem, I realize–is that you can then tweet or Facebook your results of your run.
When I see, “Jenny ran 5 miles in 40 minutes and felt great!” I, in turn, feel not so great. Why?
1. I estimate the pace to see if I can run faster or slower than the person. Nine times out of ten, it’s the latter.
2. If I haven’t run today or yesterday, I instantly feel like crap. When am I going to make time for my daily mile? (Or, if I’m injured, it’s even worse: will I ever get back to daily mile?)
But those updates, like all things related to FB, show the world what you want to show. This is me on my great vacation! This is my kid being so cute! This is the hip restaurant I just ate at! This is me running so fast! (Lest you think I’m above FB, I’m so not. Just stating fact here.)
So it got me thinking: what happened if people dropped the facade and bared their sweaty souls on Daily Mile?
Megan* ran 4 miles in 40 minutes, and swore at herself and wished she would’ve stayed in bed and hated running for exactly 3.9 miles. When she turned the corner and saw her house, she instantly loved running and remembers it now, 5 hours later, as a great! run.
*Real names have been changed to protect identities.
Anna ran 4 miles with her girlfriends. Last night, she indulged a little too much at Chipotle, so she spent the entire time 4 miles pretending as if it wasn’t her farting every third step.
Pamela ran 5 miles in crowded Washington Park. She subconsciously compared the size of her butt to that of every woman that passed her.
Gretchen raced a 10k, and beat her PR by 2 minutes. Now she will walk on clouds for the rest of the week.
Jenna ran 7 miles in 90 minutes. She did a walk/run because her freakin’ IT band feels like it might snap, but she was too stubborn to quit. She promises she’ll take a break after her half-marathon in three weeks. Maybe.
Kate ran 3 miles at a high school track. She attempted speedwork–6 x 400 meters–but, after 3 breathless, burning laps, she realized she’d rather run happy than run fast.
Joan ran 3 miles at a high school track. She finished a 10 x 400 speedwork session because there was varsity boys lacrosse practice going on. The coach was a hottie, so she picked it up every time she passed him. And then she stretched in the bleachers directly behind him.
Liz ran 5 miles. During mile two, she cried, not out of physical pain, and still isn’t sure why. But she feels so much better now.
Rachel reluctantly ran 4.5 miles with a faster friend. She was annoyed that even though the friend said she wanted to run with Rachel at her pace, she stayed three steps ahead of Rachel the whole time, making her feel both exasperated and slower than she really is.
Danielle ran 2.5 miles. And sang along at top volume to Milli Vanilli the whole time. (“Blame it on the rain that was falling, FALLING!“)
Kira ran 4 miles early this morning at that oh-so-special-monthly-time. Thank God for black capris.
Laura ran the 4-mile loop her in neighborhood for probably the 675th time in her life. The whole time she thought, “Throw me a freakin’ bone already, running. Why can’t you ever feel any easier?”
Joyce ran as fast as she could from home–away from the drama-queen tween daughter, the indifferent husband, the seismically loud twin sons. After 6 miles, she was centered and relaxed, and actually laughing at the dynamics in her house. She was ready to run home again.
How would you bare your soul on Daily Mile? Feel free to submit under a pseudonym if you’re feeling a little self-conscious.
I struggled ( two weeks ago) to run a 5 miler that used to feel great but I couldn’t recapture that beloved feeling after being off for the past 3 weeks due to an injury. You know, one of those runs where you wonder why you love to run so much!? Then the nagging thoughts of how I peed my pants at the gym while jumping rope for too long kept creeping in. It’s totally normal for your bladder to be weak after having a baby, right? Maybe I should run to the bathroom first next time. ;o)
I love this entry! They are all great, but this one made me laugh out loud! Yes, it’s normal! After having given birth 4 times, I recently had a cold complete with a nasty cough. I thought if I coughed and peed one more time, I was going to go NUTS!!!!!!!!! Or at least wear a pad…:) Almost TMI Tuesday. Just warming up.
I didn’t know it was normal! So I cleverly told my trainer, “Um, I’m not sure jumping rope is good for my bladder, wink, wink!” and she laughed – explained that she has 3 kids and the random peeing just happens to the best of us!
on most of my runs, if i was honest, i would be saying on daily mile – today i was the little engine that could and I wonder where that path goes, or maybe I could take a shortcut to catch up with them, but then if they turn back they might wonder where I went. Did I hear something behind me? Yay the kids are still in sight. Oh I don’t like hills but it has to go down eventually.
Or – that was a crap run. (then I would have to add it to the growing tally of how many times I have said crap – around 20)
Rhonda ran 4 miles today and dressed too warmly so she shed her shirt and ran the last half gasped from sucking in her gut tying to display her 2-pack.
LOL
Karina missed her planned six-miler today to the occasional insomnia that had her playing iPhone games and checking Twitter from 2 until 3:43 AM, as well as the unforgivable darkness that now accompanies 5:30.
Ugh! I hate the occasional insomnia too!
Terri L. had a pretty good 8 miler with beautiful hills and scenery until her iPod told her her pace. She then she felt like a slug and wondered why she bothered leaving the house at all.
Kate didn’t get out of bed at 0430 on a Monday morning for the 3rd week in a row and wonders where her morning run habit is going.
After a long, slow, sucky, heavy 9 miler on Saturday, on a route ruined by swarms of gnats, Heidi did not feel like getting up for her run on Monday. In fact, she didn’t feel like getting up or running ever again, but dreamed of a life where she got all the sleep she needed and only had to do the things she wanted to.
Ok, this one made me lol!!!
Kathy ran half of a 6k out-and-back today (at a distance) behind a manure spreader, trying not to get farm-poo in her new shoes, and the last half burping last night’s pizza and trying to dislodge a blackfly that she snorted up her nose after km 4. She refused to give up because she didn’t want her 10yr old to ask, “Mommy, back already?” Again.
Carolyn ran 8 miles on Saturday and by mile 4 her ankle was really starting to burn. And even though she told herself it was justsupposed to be a “normal pace” training run, she beat herself up when she saw her average pace was slower than it felt (9 min miles versus 8:30 min miles). But, it was still 8 miles so she felt pretty good about herself – good enough to have 2 Cabdury Creamed Eggs later that day.
Love it! Now I have to get some Cadbury Creme Eggs!!!
This is my dailymile entry from yesterday:
First mile was great, 2nd still ok but than my bladder got the best of me. It was perfect running weather too! Gave up after 5 instead of doing my planned 11 :-(
I’m punkin4675 if anyone wants to friend me!
Just did!
Randi ran 5 miles on Saturday. The first 2 miles were killer on the treadmill; she had to walk several times and then sprint to make up the time. Even the awesome book The Book Thief wasn’t enough to keep her attention away from running today. So she headed outside where she ran at what felt like a very very very slow pace only to be turned around sooner than expected (to head back to her car) by a little dog that she was frightened would run after her and bite her ankles. Then she went BACK inside to finish out her last mile in a sprint so that her time wouldn’t completely suck. But it was 5 miles finished!
I usually do bare my soul and soles on dailymile. Maybe it’s just my fantastic crew of dailymile friends but we don’t hide and it helps us. I should probably hide more because I often speak of running at lunch as running away from work and how work makes me cry, while being dm friends with a few running coworkers.
Yesterday’s run as posted on dailymile:
K ran 6 miles in 1 hour and 12 minutes and felt alright. Nice, relaxed recovery run with [friend]. A lot of things hurt a lot less than they did when I crawled out of bed after 18 yesterday. My abs hurt worse but, well, they could use the work anyway ;). This gives me 44 for the week, my longest week EVAAAAR. Going to scale back next week to ensure everything heals.
I’m PSUmama on dailymile. Friend away!
I’m right there with ya! Hope to be your dm friend soon!
Susan ran 17.5 miles on Saturday. I was full of self-doubt about her upcoming marathon and her lack of training due to a stubborn and angry IT band. Many questions filled my head as the miles ticked by: “Will this be my last marathon? Am I getting old? Why am I doing this to myself? Why does my knee hurt already at mile 9? Will my stomach revolt if I stop at Starbucks on the way home? Will my IT band shut me down before I get to Boylston Street on Patriot’s Day?” After an ice bath with a hot coffee I felt a bit better about it all.
Sarah ran 3 miles yesterday 2.65 miles in 30 minutes. The whole time she really wanted to walk. Like A LOT. But she kept thinking of her friend that just starting running, even though I’ve been trying for two years now, and how she is kicking my ass and is super fast and already training for her second half marathon. And if three miles is this hard, why did I sign up for the marathon? Just so I could say I registered before she did? That can’t be a good reason to run a marathon…. When will this running thing get easier?
I have to admit though, I only feel like that on, like, half my runs now. So at least it’s not all of them! And I TOTALLY compare myself to EVERYONE and make myself feel like crap all the time. We should make a vow to stop doing that! It doesn’t help anyone. Or at least that’s what I keep trying to tell myself…..
Sarah–The comparing myself to everyone thing is my problem too. I enjoy all the blogs I’m finding about running, but they also make me anxious because some days it seems like everyone out there is better than I am (in particular, I hate the “I just started running and qualified for Boston on my first marathon” stories). I don’t know how to stop!! It’s not productive for my running OR for making friends.
I just have to join in. I have the same problems. I’m training for a half, and ran 10 miles on Friday. I was so proud! Then I read a running blog, “I ran 20 miles then the next day ran 11 miles of recovery.” I honestly felt like 10 miles was hardcore FOR ME… so, as long as I don’t compare myself to others, I’m fine!
Let’s stick together! We are running, and that’s all that matters!
Sarah
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g9yP6p-hCRPF3JcBV3jjK_qx0IA6KOOvtYUw-G7w9CU/edit?hl=en#
Mary, determined to run under :25 for a 5K, practiced yet again on her treadmill, pretending her sprained ankle is totally healed. To try to shave even more seconds off, she ran in her Vibram 5 fingers. Oh, and she ran before breakfast. Yes, no energy intake whatsoever! Oh, unless you count the cinnamon coffee she gulped while cooking teenage boys’ breakfast an hour before. She figured if she felt faint while pounding out 100M repeats on her TM, due to lack of energy, she WAS in her own house, for goodness sake, and the kitchen was but a mere crawl away. Oh, and she didn’t make the mark again. 25:09. Gettin’ close, y’all. Must be that thick ass holding her back. :)
The last sentence of this entry made me chuckle. Good luck with your 5k time! You can do it!
~Jamie
Wendy ran a 5k with her (normally) slightly slower twin sister this weekend. She struggled the entire time and even puked after the race. In the end, they both PRd’.
Laura has been training for a 10K since the beginning of the year. I’ve been all of that time in pain and wondering if running is ever going to be fun and painless again. Every run b/w miles 1-1.5, I’ve asked myself why am I doing this? If I make it to miles b/w 2-3, I feel ok, remember to work on my breathing, correct my posture and then think I’ll make it to mile 6 today. By mile 4, I’m thinking I can barely make it back to my car. On a positive note, I still get up for training and try, try, try…
My most recent Daily Mile post read: Alecia ran 5 miles and felt blah. “forgot to apply body glide again. Owwwwww!”
Jamie escaped for 3 miles and considered never returning to the house of insanity (vomiting child, cranky husband, etc.). The need to pee brought her home. She hates public bathrooms.
Phoebe ran 12 miles on Saturday and learned she has the most “dangerous” kind of running injury… one that hurts less while running so you are reluctant to let it heal….
Jen ran another 4 miles wondering when this will become the mind/body experience that runners claim.
Somehow the 13.1 she envisions in her head is elusive.
If only Jen would have taken up running about, ohh….say, 15 years ago her body might be a little bit kinder to her and a little bit faster. Self confidence…that’s a whole other issue.
In the end, she tells herself to shut up and Run Like a Mother! It will come.
My post from this morning:
Hubby left very early for work … looking forward to this crazy work schedule to come to an end … 2 more weeks! Legs were very heavy and sore from yesterday’s 15 miler. Many icy patches so I had to watch my footing. One good thing about daylight savings time is that I get to see the sunrise again. Prayed the entire time that everyone was ok at home (had my cell with me). When I returned, they all were still asleep.
Kristyn (29) ran 3.5 miles with an injured 63 year old man and barely kept up. Yeah, and I wanted to slow down after only the first mile. But it was nice to have someone to talk to and to run along the beach while the sun was coming up.
Jennifer ran not one but TWO longish runs this weekend and didn’t do either of them particularly fast. But on the 11 miler yesterday, I finally learned exactly how to RLAM- I watched my 14 year old son soar past me up a hill. he looks like a runner, he runs like a runner and as I watched that amazingly beautiful creature, I was immediately grateful to be where I was, doing what I was doing, and proud to know that I made that!!!!!
Wow Jennifer. That made me tear up. But remember your son probably runs like that because he was inspired by you, his mom who RLAM.
LOVE it! Passing on the passion…what a beautiful thing. I have told my 11 year old that I can’t wait for her to pass me in a race! We run together when she’s in a 5K, but one of these days soon, she’ll be leaving me in her dust and I will love every morsel!
You’ll never love being outrun more than when your child does it!
Okay, first, I love this post!! LOL!! Truth!! Jana ran 3.5 miles today and felt good except for when she ran up that one stupid long hill. She cursed at herself all the way up it for including it in her route and swore to avoid it tomorrow. She will, however, run it again tomorrow. And there will be more cursing.
Michelle ran 6 craptastic miles today at a pace that she’s too embarrassed to post. The run was full of self-doubt as she’s starting to wonder how in the world she’s going to complete her first half marathon (much less the 2nd one she’s already registered for)! Does running ever get easier?
I laughed out loud several times while reading this post! I found your blog a few weeks ago and love it! I log my runs at Daily Mile as well but for obvious reasons don’t post my runs on FB or Twitter. My only ‘friends’ on Daily Mile are my husband, sister, and friend/fellow runner. This way I can complain about my running honestly ;)
After her running partner cancelled n her at the last minute, Angela finally motivated herself to go out and tackle three miles on her own. She’s still trying to find her groove after a cold knocked her back a week. The run was slow, but not as slow yesterday’s first run back.
I don’t have a dailymile account, I just write the same stuff in the notes app on my phone, but I would so LOVE to read these kindsof posts on Facebook instead ofonly hearing how perfectly wonderful everyone else’s lives are. But if I was doing a dailymile post today it would say:
I’m supposed to run 5 miles today, bur don’t want to because Saturday’s run was so good that this ones guaranteed to be a whopping disappointment, and I am still feeling horrible about my wretched parenting skills this past week, and I have a stinkin’ cold now.
Alisha, dailymile is wonderful and I’ve found it encouraging in so many ways! Join and find Karlee M. This would be a much better way to keep track of everything for you. They also have a phone app!
I cut and pasted a couple of my real entries on dailymile. And yes, I do post these to facebook too. I don’t hold back. LOL!
“Painful Run – The back of my legs are still killing me from 200+ deadlifts at power pump on Wed night. Kathy and I decided to do a slow run to just move and stretch….and work off the pomegrante martinis from last night. ;) It was also really windy at the beach. Rough run.
I found a new Droid app – RunKeeper – worked awesome.”
“I was a little pissy on this run. I was happy that it is 45 degrees…feels like a heat wave! LOL! So I wanted to run in my skirt, but for the first 15 min I kept having to pull it up (UGH!) until I was sweaty enough for it to stick to me. Don’t know if I’m going to wear this for 13.1 (glad I got to try it out). Then my sports bra kept scratching me (UGH!) and then my ear buds wouldn’t stay in my ears without my head band (UGH!).
Do do list TODAY: 1. Order a new sports bra. 2. Order Yurbuds. 3. Pray they all come in before the 11th.”
Way to go Allison! I find dm to be encouraging and a place to put it all out there!
On my run, I think or rather I try not to think. I pump up the volume on my iPod and sing out of tune & off key. Afterwards is when I start to berate myself for being a slow giant white blob of a runner who breathes too heavy and sweats to much & oh god now I smell so I need to take a shower. After my run I think about how my stomach and ass jiggle way too much, I took too many walk breaks and how no one really believes I’m a runner basically from the surprised ” I don’t believe u ” look when I say I run. I think my lungs should be used to this by now & for as much as I workout it does not show at all. Shower is now done, and I think “yes I just tan a lousy 2 miles, but I did it” & then my Nike acct posts to my fb & it calculates in KM instead of miles so it looks farther than truth and it makes me happy for the lie & i think “at least I did something while everyone else was still sleeping and getting nothing accomplished”. Sleep is overrated anyway! :)
Gina imagined herself running 5 miles since she is recovering from tendinitis. Cycling 10 miles at the gym hurts her butt.
This entry is awesome. Absolutely loved it!
After putting in the first 12 miles of a 16 miler, Michelle reached the top of the last hill on the way home. Zipping down the hill she screamed along to Wilco’s “Baby all I need is a SHOT IN THE ARM” (not caring what the people driving up the hill thought about her) and feeling like she found IT. At the bottom of the hill, after regaining her usual slow trudge, a younger, fitter woman flies past her, forcing her to wonder…”just how long has that runner been behind me”? Oh well, The Decemberists are now singing, “I’m an engine driver…woooa, on the long haul,” and it is four slow, quiet, miles home.
Can’t or won’t post to daily mile, because I am so darn slow.
Amen, sister. Amen.
My thoughts exactly.
I too am very slow but still post to DM. But I do tend to friend only my friends or people that are similar speed as me. It is tough to see someone out there running 7’s and 8’s while I’m swearing one day I’d like to break into single digits. You can friend me! LaurieA in Morrison, CO
There are slow and there are fast on there. But almost all are encouraging and meet you where you are to build you up! Friend me, Karlee M., and I’ll be one of those people! Turtles unite!
I’m not a mother but saw this post on Twitter & love it so much… hilarious! I ALWAYS wish that DM had two places to put “how did you feel?”, one for during the run (“shitty”) and one for after (“so thrilled! I love running! endorphins!!!!!!”)
My girlfriend and I were having this talk on a run a couple of months ago. She always seemed to have better runs than me and she posts how she felt after and I post how I felt during. Which explained the whole difference.
First, I have to say that you obviously are not my friend on DM of friends with some of my friends, because I’ve seen the “hottie at the track”. Seen the “this run sucked ass but I finished and so I’ll call it a win”. Heck, I’ve written that one more often than not. :)
I did have a non-DM friend who’s on twitter tell me I needed better adjectives to describe my runs because twitter always populates with whatever “face” you rated the run as.
Find me! Karlee M. for Wichita! I’d love to follow you! We can bare our souls together :)
This is inspirational. I’m absolutely sharing my runs on facebook from now on. I am slow, but dedicated. Usually my updates would be: Sarah ran one mile to pick up her son from day care. One mile is more than zero miles. And it’s Cadbury Creme egg season, so I need all the miles I can get.
Is there a “like” button around here? Cause I’d definitely like this comment.
Amen to the Cadbury Mini Eggs! How many miles do I have to run to justify the entire BAG I ate this weekend?
You know, I read that, too and thought, what a wonderul post-run reward! I mean, Cadbury EGG, right? I love it…MMMMmmm…haven’t had one in years. I’m thinking this is the year I make a comeback…it should taste waaaay better than the still warm boiled egg I just ate! Egg white, actually. Plus, the Cadbury kind has a way tastier yolk!!!
I so needed this today. I fell off the running wagon about 6 months ago and has felt like crap ever since. I just started running again and mostly I hate it. Keeping it real helps me put it all in perspective. I wish everyone was as real as I want to be. This post made me chuckle….thanks for that.
Terzah didn’t run today. She went to spin class because she’s doing Run Less Run Faster and has to cross-train twice a week. Spinning felt good, but she’s at that stage in the training (two weeks out from scheduled half-marathon) where she wonders if she’s *really* trained enough because everyone else runs six or seven days a week and way more miles and isn’t that what the elites do, they don’t run just three days a week, and why with all this exercise and faster running does she still have cellulite and big thighs and a pot belly? And what if there’s a fire in the foothills again and it delays this half-marathon like a fire did the one last fall where she failed to meet her goal? Or what if that hellish wind comes up? She hates the wind. Oh, wait this is a good song. Maybe she’ll stand up on the bike for this one…..
I could have written this! Got a 1/2 marathon in a few weeks and this weeks starts the kick it up to 4-5 runs a week, in the hopes of zapping a few minutes off my time, inches off my thighs and doing away with my belly (at least decreasing it). BTW, did Bodypump this morning, but didn’t run.
Thanks, Monique! It’s good not to be alone. GOOD LUCK in your half (and with the rest of your training).
Katie made it to her first TNT run today. After the first 40 feet the rest of the team was running faster than her and she had to accept the fact that she’d be running alone as part of a team. She hated the entire first mile (when does that change?) with an unending loop of “why do I run?” running through her brain. Felt better at 30:06 when she realized she had hit her training pace. Felt stupid at mile 4.75 when she realized she’d taken a wrong turn on the return leg of the out and back because she’d spent the first mile out staring at the ground muttering to herself. Thankful to see her car right as the Garmin beeped 5 miles knowing she made it back alive.
Laurie ran 7 miles on Saturday and wonders when the hell she is going to feel that runner’s high. Seriously. Although in general running doesn’t suck nearly as much as it used to, still, nothing even resembling a freakin high.
Oh, and I don’t post my runs to fb anymore. I figure no one really gives a crap. Just like I really do not care when they check in @ McDonald’s. I will post a particularly impressive long run to fb though. So they think I am a real badass and as far as they know I only run distances longer than 10 miles.
That’s hysterical Laurie! You’re a badass anyway!
Oh my word!! I love it!!
Meredith was so wet and cold after her 14 mile run in the pouring rain that she proceeded to peel her hat, jacket AND shirt off while standing next to her car. She then got in the car and tried to unclasp her favorite sports bra and cursed when she couldn’t get the last one undone. She then wished her husband was there because she knew HE could undo her bra. Finally, after struggling for what seemed like an eternity, the bra came undone and she sat, topless in her car, wondering how in the world she was going to get her sweatshirt on and hoping no one would pull into the parking lot. Eventually, the sweatshirt was on and she was able to drive home only to spend 40 minutes trying to warm up in the shower. By the time she was warm, she was excited and ready to run her next long run and felt like her 14 miler was fantastic!
Thanks for that laugh!
OMG! The bra comment is SOOOO true!
Though I’ve run for years I’m slow and based on recent stats, getting slower. But I still run and I enjoy reporting to my small DailyMile community and am often envious at some of results other posts. I’m Moruns and would love to add you to my DM community
Just added you! I look forward to following your training!
MamaRuns26 didn’t get to run this morning because she spend the night waking up to check on her Little Man every hour or so as they make the transition from co-sleeping to crib sleeping.
I do the exact same thing when I read about other people and their mileage/time. I run about a 9:40 (sometimes 10) pace, which feels so fast to me. Yet is so slow in the land of runners! This is also why i don’t use daily mile.
Nikki ran 3 horrible miles on the treadmill at the gym because her husband is oot again and she refuses to run with an almost 4yo in a jogging stroller (in 32* F, no less). As soon as she stopped she felt like the lamest person at the gym for not putting in at least an extra mile, but now a few hours later and freshly showered she’s glad to have made it to the gym at all today.
I run on Tuesday and Thursday mornings with one group of women and Saturda mornings with another group. My gettin’ real Daily Mile would read “I can’t believe that these women get up every Tues/Thurs. at 5:30 so we can meet at 6 to run with me – the only non-stay-at-home mom who has to be at work at 8 am. Plus – they all have treadmills and could run at 8:45 am in their warm comfy homes instead of out here on the wet, windy track with me. Boy do they ROCK!” And because of them – I went from running less than 2 miles 2 times a week to running 5+ miles 3 times a week. Whenever I feel tired or pissy about getting up, I think about their support and I meet them every time.
Rebecca did not get up this morning for her usual 5:30am run so she attempted to bring the 5 yr old and the 3 yr old for a 1 mile jog around the neighborhood. Here’s a breakdown of her walk/jog/drag. Haul the pink scooter out for the 3 yr.old, haul the bike out for the 5 yr.old, helmets on “Yes, for the 1000 time you have to waer your helmet!” 1/4 mile in Sophie is wimpering, our cat is following us, Noah is waaay ahead of us. Turn around, gotta get the cat in the house, Soph can’t make it, need the single jogger. Put pink scooter away, haul out jogger, Noah wants his scooter, haul the bike back down to the basement, get the cat in, grab snacks, lamb, blanket. Back on the road 1/4 mile Noah starts complaining, “Your going too fast!”, stop for snacks, between 1/4 -1/2 mile Noah is whining “My legs hurt!”, complaining, “I just want to go home!”, no kidding, carry scooter, push jogger and hold Noah’s hand and turn around to go home. Rebecca WILL run tonight when her husband gets home and will record her AWESOME SOLO miles on Daily Mile!!!
Awesome post and analysis. I avoid social media about my runs (other than my blog) because I hate how slow I am. I am accepting that this is where my fitness it, but I don’t want to broadcast it. I’m proud to let people know that I’ve become a runner, but I’m not interested in judgment over my lack of speed.
As for what my latest run would look like on The Get Real Daily Mile it would be similar to Joyce’s entry: Lois ran 5K to get away from her son who had tried her patience all weekend. As soon as DH walked in the door from his boys’ weekend out of town, I turned over the reins, put on my running clothes, and flew out the door. Blissfully, the run did exactly what I needed it to do and I was in a much better space when I returned. After a shower I was even able to interact in a socially acceptable manner with all members of my household.
I am party of Daily Mile, but for now, my community there is just my sister and me…so I don’t notice other people’s speedy posts so much. My real-life post from Saturday’s run would look like this:
Christy ran 11 miles for the first time ever, although bystanders might have questioned the “run” part at times. She’s too stubborn to try a run/walk pattern, but she did it! Of course, she was quite overdressed for the weather and spent the last two miles actually looking forward to the ice bath at home.
Michaela has started counting imaginary miles as real workouts, since her 7-month old won’t cooperate and stay asleep past 4:30 am, her two slightly bigger girls are up with the sun and need help brushing teeth and making breakfast, and her husband now has a broken arm and is like a giant 4th child to care for. I’m not complaining, I’m just accepting the reality that is life this month. And in my imaginary runs, I can go really freaking fast :)
Love it! (The post, not the lack of sleep or broken arm.) We have sleep issues in our house as well that mean no morning work outs. I really like the imaginary run concept. Good luck with everything!
I ran my first 10K Saturday. I was really glad I’d looked at the race map and started incorporating some hills into my weekly runs so I didn’t collapse on the hill in the race. I wish I wouldn’t have tied my shoe with my timing chip so tight so my foot didn’t go numb around mile 4 (cuz there’s no way I’m stopping to loosen it!). I wish my running partner didn’t get injured so we could have ran the whole way together. 6.2 chatty miles are funner than solo, quiet miles! I felt happy with my time, and that my sweetie brought himself and our kids to cheer me on at the finish line. Overall a great day, until I saw how ridiculous my posture is in the few pictures my husband took. Why can’t I stand up straight when I run?
Oh my. I, too, laughed right out loud. Mostly because I HAVE BEEN each of those women at some point or another. Even the one that farts every step and pretends it’s not her (why does that happen sometimes?!) Today I rolled out of bed and wished every step of my five mile run that I was back in bed- then turned on cartoons for my littles and slept on the couch by them. Not a superb running day.
I did it! I ran 5 miles on Saturday! Hooray for me! No records were broken, but it felt awesome to be outside running again!
Exactly how I felt!
Oh, I’ve been that honest on dailymile, at least if I have the time in the comments. I’ve long wished they had more nuanced “how was it” smilies, like “didn’t want to go, went anyhow, the first 3 stunk but the last 2 felt good.” I’d especially appreciate “wasn’t pleasant, but I feel great now that it’s done.” Here’s approximately what I wrote about yesterday’s 10-miler: headed out on known trails to find a new trail. Got lost in some neighborhoods, didn’t find the new trail, but the street was on an awesome ridge and had a great view of the valley below all the way to the foothills. (Who knew?) As a bonus, I didn’t get run over by cars on the sharp curve where there wasn’t must shoulder to run on. Eventually found my way back to the other trail. Didn’t get in as many hills as I needed, even though it felt plenty hilly.”
Unless it involves a pit stop hidden bushes or behind a few bales of hay, I usually am happy to include it in my comments. Keeps it real, yk?
Deborah apologizes to everyone who had a far too glorious view of her generous muffin top as she did speed work down her road. You know, the muffin top that lies directly in between the shirt that rode up to her bra line and the tights that rode down to her bikini line. Jiggle jiggle jiggle.
Ice coffee just squirted out of my nose when I read the one about “Anna”. Only because I decided to fuel a 9-mile run with Chipotle a couple weeks ago (hey, we had a BOGO coupon, and my husband picked up on the way home from work), and I was pretty sure everyone I ran by was thinking I had a duck strapped to the bottom of my shoe I was tooting so much.
Kendra just finished a nice 5.5 mile run that was rudely interrupted by 2 huge white dogs that decided to chase her (her first encounter with a dog) and one nipped her in the butt. Luckily, she hid behind a trashcan that was in the street and they left her alone so she could think about them the last 3 miles! Upon returning home, she thought eating her 4 yr old son’s happy meal was a great idea;)
Still haven’t made it out the door. It’s been 4 months since my first half marathon and I am seriously struggling to find my get up and go.
Abby missed her run this morning because DH was just too darn handsome sleeping there. Opted for cross training instead.
Fun! And every bit of cardio counts.
First, I have to say THANKS for this post. Sadly, I could relate to almost all of the status updates. Still laughing!
from the other day…..
Shari ran 4 miles through the snow just to stop feeling like a slug (that’s what she told her husband) and to get away from her husband and kids (that’s the part she left out of her explanation why she needed to go for a run “right now”). When she got to the part of her run where she was up to her knees in snow she thought ‘why am I even running…its not like I am keeping up any sort of speed….if I walked I could stay away from those crazy people in my house a little longer…nobody else cares if I keep running so why am I even trying….everyone else just thinks I’m crazy…. maybe I am crazy….maybe “those people” in my house are normal…MAYBE IT’S ME!’
I’m pretty sure my friends’ and I are embarrassingly honest on Daily Mile. A lot of “I drank too much last night”, or “I only finished the run because I wanted to get it done faster” or “I was planning on doing 8 miles, but I only did 4 because I was feeling lazy”. Also, I don’t post them on FB, because I’m pretty sure my non-running friends would find that VERY obnoxious. Though, it would put good pressure on me to run longer and faster so I don’t look lazy!
Amen Claire! My friends are honest too and I don’t share on FB either
I’ve opened up as much as I’m comfortable. I feel no reason to go after the shock effect.
Stacy ran 4 miles on the treadmill at the gym this afternoon. Her pace is still incredibly slow after 10 months of running…a 10 minute mile is considered “speed work”. Stacy is an adult onset runner (age 46), but is determined to keep running, because she feels stronger physically and mentally than ever before! Oh, and she ran her first 10 mile run last Friday…on the ‘mill. Slow and steady is her mantra. :)
I could have written your response, Stacy (only I am a newbie runner with only 5 months running and I am 38). Love it! Slow and steady with you all the way!
Husband out of town last week. Freshman son fails a homework assignment because he ‘ran out of post-its.’ I’m smack dab in the middle of a crazy hectic 6 weeks where it feels as though every minute is planned. Finally, after driving 120 miles for a U12 game, picking up food for our u12 son’s party I decide I HAVE
…oops….TO GO FOR A RUN. Oh wait, here comes DOM neighbor, husband, love of my life, blocks for me so that I can go. He’s with her for 20+minutes and says 5 words. I ran my 5 in 50, legs of lead for the first 3 and come home realizing it wasn’t that hard.
and then I get my period-
Love it!!!!!!!!! I think we’re related :)
today, rachel ran 8 miles in … a lot more time than it should’ve taken her … and almost stepped on a dead bunny in the process. she and her two running friends got honked at by a nasty-looking man, almost got hit by a mack-truck, and wondered why, in this day and age, we still do this whole “daylight savings” thing, because all of this happened in the dark.
Didn’t run today because she needs to grow up and stop being so self conscious about people she knows seeing her running outside. Can’t hide in the gym forever…
Darcy ran (well slugged) along on her first 10-mile run and was feeling all bada** until her Garmin 305 data told her most of her “run” was in the slow jog zone – 13 min mile pace. Realizing it might take close to 3 hours for her to finish her 1/2 marathon in 12 weeks and feeling totally deflated at her tortoise pace, she determined to do 1 of her 3 treadmill miles today at a 10-min mile pace. Umm…she really isn’t a 10-min mile runner but she did manage to do a 1/4 of a mile at that 10-min mile pace before coming to her senses that there was no way she could do that for a mile YET. But determined, she finished her other 2 miles at 12:30 pace and decided it was time to have a new happy pace and it IS going to be 12:30 min mile instead of 13! Work in progress….
Heather started her 3 mile run today saying ouch, ouch, ouch at every step because her butt hurt from the lunges she did at the gym. She did fine for the first 1/4 mile (because it is a nice downhill) and then spend the next 1.5 miles thinking “This run sucks.” She finished the last 1.25 miles with a smile because she hit her pace and the endorphins kicked in. She ran into her driveway wondering how she is going to fit her training into her schedule for the week, but hoping it happens because she is always happier when she runs!
Love it! I don’t do DM because it just seems like one more thing and too much work…
Alanna didn’t run her 29km long run on Sunday because, after dealing with the flu since Wednesday, she was scared of crapping herself within the first 10 minutes of the run and having to go back to the running store mortified and dejected.
I am laughing so hard right now I’m crying!
I use the Great-Good-Okay-Blah-etc-etc thing to determine how I felt overall about the run and how my body feels. If I have a long boring run and can’t get into the groove, but afterwards me body and soul feel good, I choose “good” … If I am exhausted and at the edge of collapse I choose “tired”, but that never happens because I never run until my tank is empty (and I’m okay with that). I use the “How did it go?” bit to describe the run. “That last hill was a killer I thought it would never end” sort of thing. I love the support/motivation/chatter that goes on on DailyMile. My dog has his own dailymile account (I use it to log his runs, but post funny things about him and “quote” what I think he’s saying).
Debra ran 3 miles today at embarrassing 13:40 pace. Is that running anyway? Who is she kidding? Really she should probably be on the couch with a crochet needle or some other hobby that keeps old ladies occupied.
Nope. It’s awesome.
To clarify, the nope was to “should be on a couch” not to the “is that running?” It is running, and it is awesome.
Amanda ran 5.5 (okay 8 total, but it was broken up and not the 10 she had hoped) wind-sucking, breath-gasping, muscle-spasming miles, which was unfortunate because she had hoped to talk to her friends on the run instead of focusing on her pain, their asses, and whether or not she would catch them (she didn’t). Oh well, at least she didn’t pass a kidney stone.
And for Dolly … Dolly ran 5.5 kick-ass, non-stop, fast-footed miles, which was totally deserved and well earned after a long recovery from months of respiratory illnesses, and she looked cute doing it.
And for Rlamanda … Rlamanda ran 5.5 grueling, post-partum, awe-inspiring miles, which she managed to do 8 weeks post-partum (maybe it is 7, I can’t really remember what she told me because I was trying not to puke).
Joanne didn’t run today, because she spent the weekend procrastinating and is now studying frantically for 2 midterms, preparing a presentation, and getting ready for her oral surgery rotation, all in the next 3 days. Had she run, she would have huffed and puffed through 4k, cursing herself for not making a greater effort to fit her workouts into her schedule over the winter so that now, her heart rate wouldn’t average 170 bpm on an “easy” run.
Oh yeah, and thanks so much for the post, Dimity! It seriously made my day. :)
These are AWESOME! Just the laugh my injured hammy needed.
I should add that my runs lately are all “ouch my ass hurts” and “ow-my hammy hurts” as I try to run off all the girl scout cookies I consumed over the weekend. =)
Whip ran 7 miles on Sunday. The 1st 4 miles sucked b/c she had indulged on Stellas and a Philly cheesesteak the night before this run. Not to mention the bottles of wine and pizza shared with good friends on Fri PM while the kids ran around like crazies. But, the last 3 miles of Sunday’s run reminded Whip of how happy she will be finishing the half in April… with her slowpoke pace.
That. Was. Simply. AWESOME!
This would have been mine for Sunday. Beverly ran miles in 90 minutes on the treadmill:-( Had to take a couple of breaks to breathe. Still fighting that chest from a month ago. Running still brings coughing fits that bring up the lungs. Legs didn’t feel that bad though:-)
Make that “7 miles in 90 minutes”
This would have been me yesterday on my long run: “Teresa ran six miles after 24 hours of a stomach bug and no real fuel, praying that she could make it without having to duck into a porta-john or behind a bush. Afterward she was stoked because she finished the distance at a decent pace and without any stomach protests!”
The posts that don’t make my Daily Mile:
“April didn’t run today. Instead she got dressed in her running gear, jumped into the car, drove to her favorite coffee spot, bought latte…and parked her butt under a tree. Alone. And enjoyed every single minute. Before heading home and recalling her TOUGH run to the hubs and boys. And the traffic. The really really bad traffic.” ;)
Today I ran, tracked with cardio tracker, and in honor of this post, which I read earlier today, and of course inspired my steps, I left a brutally honest comment and posted to FB…
“3.2 miles in 36 minutes. Being a HWT sucks. How could I have let myself get like this? It is over now, and I know I am in control to change it.”
H Set out for 5 miles. Walked probably 3 because too much crying made it hard to catch breath. Overwhelmed by work, kids, schedules, cooking dinner, trying to do it all. Returned home feeling better and thankful for the run.
Jen ran 3.28 miles and felt extremely frustrated, because she has almost figured out her Garmin Forerunner 305… the only watch you need a Ph.D. to operate… Yeah, well… She finally figured out how to program an interval workout into it that didn’t have a pace that left her lungs burning, but about 10 minutes in, she couldn’t resist the urge to go home and pee out all the coffee she’d imbibed (stupidly) right before her run. She tried mightily, but those new Moving Comfort compression shorts just wouldn’t give her bladder a break! (Damn compression shorts!) Better luck next time.
This is why my sister is my only friend on Daily Mile. I can post photos of my roadrash from falling (I was “flying ” along at 8:45 we talk about pee and our
Darn mobile devices…”flying” along at 8:45 pace and then I was literally flying through the air–I think the sidewalk was uneven…yeah.) Anyway, we talk about stopping to pee and our butts jiggling. Plus she isn’t faster than me (for now anyway). I’d be honest anyway, but it’s really fun for us this way!
Alisa “ran” just over 2 miles, cursing that damned no-longer-broken bone in her foot that *still* feels like there’s something wrong with it six months later. With each step she remembered all of the things that she always hated about running until she returned home and realized that her pace was faster than she thought. The run is now remembered fondly and is surely a sign that her real running days are just around the corner.
After ten years in custom orthotics and motion control sneakers, Sheryl switched to a neutral shoe and NO orthotics per her new podiatrist’s recommendation and had a horrible run. Her feet felt like they were pounding and her right foot was supinating. She is wondering how long she gives this????
I. Love. This. Post! I feel like I’m fairly honest on daily mile, but these are awesome…I loved your opening post about not getting out of bed.
“Be careful what you wish for” was hanging over my head this morning. Sent out my “who’s running with me?” email last night to my running girls, then for the first time in a long time, slept so soundly that I never woke up once until my alarm blared at 6:15 this morning. I lay there momentarily wishing I hadn’t committed to running in the morning and thought up several excuses as I prepared breakfast and packed lunches for my four kids. Asked dh to drive them to school giving me an extra 15 minutes to decide if I was really going to blow off meeting up with my friends. Predictions of rain for tomorrow morning gave me the guilts – I had to run today since I won’t be able to tomorrow. So I headed down to the basement to the dryer to get my running pants where I noticed a pool of water underneath the laundry sink and soaked carpet. UGH! No running for me after all, and $135 later, said goodbye to the plumber. Unfortunately, by the time he left, it was too late for me to get in a run by myself! So yeah, my fantasy of blowing off my run came true but at an unexpected cost! And that is my daily mile update ;)
Sue just finished 6 sweaty boring miles on the treadmill…again…because she is too big of a wuss to run outside if it’s below 40 degrees. As she plodded through her 6 sweaty boring miles, she watched Octomom on Oprah and felt somewhat guilty for complaining about her two kids, much less eight. Then she wondered what was going to get her through her sweaty boring treadmill miles once Oprah is over. Will they show reruns? During a commercial her eyes darted to the exercise room, where the super-fit, tight-assed instructor was leading a hip-shaking, sexifying Zumba class. Damn her and her tight ass, Sue thought. Oh yeah–she’s 26 and has no kids. Of course she looks like that! Sue’s thoughts then focused on her own not-so-tight ass and she wondered if revving the incline will help the situation “back there”. Unfortunately the really, really old woman next to her was wearing so much Jungle Gardenia perfume that Sue was on the verge of hyperventilating. She tried to distract herself by looking out the window at her children’s daycare, watching all of the Good Mommies pick up their kids in a timely fashion. Sue needed to finish her workout and stretch, which means one more day of flying into daycare just minutes before 6:00, when she has to pay $5.00 for every minute she’s late. Again. Alas, a mommy who runs is much happier than a mommy who doesn’t so her kids are just going to have to deal with being dubbed “late pickups”. Sue knew that getting this workout in was crucial to her well-being and sanity, so she continued to put one foot in front of the other until she reached 6 sweaty boring miles.
Well….because of you, I was honest today :)
“In honor of “Run Like a Mother”‘s blog post today, and being honest….this was not the plan. I was supposed to run with Collin and our friend B.O.B. this beautiful morning while smelling the Oranges and enjoying the shade of the groves, but I locked poor B.O.B. in the wrong car and he could not escape, which meant the dreadmill after hubby got home from work. So, slogged out 4 miles as per my new marathon training plan. After running with the group this weekend, I’ve decided that I need a plan to tell me what to do, otherwise, I’ll have trouble completing my goals. So training plan is a go :) Luckily, I feel ok. Slow but ok.”
Loved this one!
My post could be any of the above mentioned at any given time. LOL!
I think we have all been there. ;-)
….If I could “thumbs up” or “like” these posts, they’d all be “liked”. :-)
Love them, ladies!
I Live in a small town off the Susquehanna river, said river had flooded this weekend. I, not admiting I had “flood fever” like the rest of the town, went on 3 long runs to check the rising water, cresting water, and flood damage! I went on a run, it just HAPPENED to be by the flooding! And damn if the black flies didn’t follow me the entire time!
I have been on Dailymile.com for quite a while and I am now a part of the Dailymile Team because I do love the site so much.
Drop the facade and bear their souls? I know that this post is probably intented to be tounge-in-cheek but…I just felt I needed to respond with a different view.
How about the man who ran 11 miles this morning and was heartbroken over the problems with his teenage son?
Or the cyclist who is struggling to find a job after 3 months of unemployment-now he must uproot his family to another state to keep food on the table?
Or the woman who ran in honor of her father that died unexpectedly-crying the entire run?
Then there are the hundreds of Dailymilers that came together to run in honor of a fellow “friend” who was battling cancer and at the end of his life?
Or the woman who ran to process the thought that her husband of 20+ years was leaving her for another woman.
These are just a few of the posts that come to mind-there are real people with real lives on Dailymile and no matter what social media you refer to there are going to be those who want to create this “vision” of a perfect life.
Then again, there are those who are real, honest and spill their guts about their lives and not afraid to share the “real”.
I have found more REAL on Dailymile.com than any other social site-
I tend to be a bit too honest on dailymile – see The Una Runner. If you dig you will see the true feelings. Its not all rosy and awesome. There is heartbreak and pain and suffering along side the triumph and joy. But like Facebook and Twitter some on see the unreal crap. ;)
I love Daily Mile for its logging and community. Its a funny place though. When people first join they hold back and don’t always tell the truth about how they felt or what went wrong. That quickly changes though as they become more active. I do post on FB and twitter. I felt funny about it at first but after noticing several of my FB and Twitter friends picking up a fitness routine, one who ran her first marathon this year after being complete sedentary, I feel good about sharing and being an example. That example includes sharing the good and the bad.
Funny post. I agree with Ann. People do tend to go through various stages when they join. Eventually, most people open up. It’s the ability to let go and be honest and get support and feedback from your peers that makes DM a special place. As far as comparing yourself to others – just remember – it’s all relative.
i enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek look at how people really feel when they run or cycle or what have you. what you mention about posts on twitter is interesting. those are likely auto posts from dailymile and they can only feel great, good, alright, blah, tired or injured because those are the emoticons that dailymile gives as options. there isn’t a “i feel sad because my dog died” button to click, so twitter auto posts are going to be pretty sterile. it’s when you click the links and read what people have said that you get the real story.
http://theunarunner.blogspot.com/2011/01/face-of-daily-mile.html
I’m a lover of dailymile, also! And I’ve seen “Run like a mother” mentioned in several posts so I know many of your fans are on there also. My core group of friends on there never had any problems laying everything out there. And now that my friends have continued to expand, I would say there are many that are using dailymile as a way to tell it like it is. There are some that just want the site to put in their stats and not have to comment on other posts, and I think that’s ok, too. I also feed my posts to facebook and I’ve had countless people tell me how it’s inspired them. I’m sure others might find it annoying–but I haven’t heard from them, yet :) If anyone needs a keep it real friend, I’d love to follow you! http://www.dailymile.com/people/Karlee#ref=tophd
i sooo relate to example Laura’s comment. THROW ME A BONE ALREADY!
My posts are all pretty real… I post the good, the bad, the ugly, the painful and the embarrassing. When I puked during a race last year, I posted it. When I had to squat in the woods at mile 24 of the marathon this past year, I posted it. I have no shame :) Feel free to take a look! http://www.dailymile.com/people/ericasara#ref=tophd
Lisa showed up to run a loop of the lake, but her running partner was a no show. Lisa ran with a different, (turns out faster) group instead and spent the entire 9 miles trying to come up with poetic one word answers so as not to let on how out of breath she was.
Julie ran a half-marathon today, beating her PR by 15 minutes, and finished in under two hours. This success was motivated by a kick-ass playlist, another runner who I pretended was my old boss that I would not let pass me, and my kids at mile 13 that I had to showboat for by pouring on the speed.
“Laura ran the 4-mile loop her in neighborhood for probably the 675th time in her life. The whole time she thought, ‘Throw me a freakin’ bone already, running. Why can’t you ever feel any easier?’ ”
This is me – FOR REAL!! Five years ago, we bought the house I grew up in from my parents, which now at 46, means I’ve run the same 3.5+/- loop in the same neighborhood for about 25 years. Sometimes it is easier; most of the time it is not; all of the time it is pretty boring. The good news is that if I’m suddenly blinded during a run, I’ll be able to find my way home by instinctive autopilot … 238 steps then turn left …
Favorite snack on a run definitely Gu chocolate that tastes like chocolate icing. Espresso Love flavor is good too. I enjoy dark chocolate as a treat at home and find that Trader Joes has a variety of choices.
Comparing yourself with others is the quickest way to hell! Both as a mom and as a runner. It always makes me feel bad, so I try not to do it.
Traci went out last Saturday to run her 6 miler and found herself unable to move her weighty legs after about 1.5 miles. Definitely shouldn’t have had that huge bowl of pad Thai or shared a bottle of Pinot Grigio with her mother in law.
Cuties (little baby oranges)
Dee talked herself out of her morning 5 miler because her leg was “sore” from sleeping funny–meanwhile, she sprinted on the elliptical for an hour and caught up on her emails and texting.
This is a real post from my last mountain bike ride: “Wakina Sky for Crybabies. I don’t want to talk about it”. (couldn’t keep up with the group)
Also, “hangover killed my run today, why do I do that to myself?”
I love dailymile! Everyone I have met there has been awesome. They are all walks of life. I am by far not the fastest person there. I have talked about my problems with running and the gingerbread man. Sometime I have talked about my family. It is great! I think as long as you don’t take yourself to seriously then daily mile is a great fit. Never try to compair yourself to anyone because just getting out there is better than doing nothing at all.
Tricia tried to get on the treadmill at the Y. But found that every one of them was filled. So she got on the Lipty and watch all the treadmillers like a hawk. When she say one of them finishing up she whoop down to take the machince over before anyone else could get there.
That’s why I stopped posting my runs on Facebook and Twitter. I was afraid to lose friends because of it.
Dimity — that was hilarious and just what I needed today. Cant we have our own Daily Mile on AMR, where we could be honest and know most everyone’s out there saying — Amen, sister! to our posts? Here’s mine from yesterday…
Saturday — Heather biked 14 miles instead of running because her ass still hurts from an injury she received in FEB! Yesterday she told a girlfriend she would run with her today and hasn’t stopped worrying about it since. Her left glute, IT band, hamstring and everything in between her knee and hip go wiggy when she takes her first running step, so she is terrified about how today’s “casual run” will go…..
Bryony ran 10.2 miles today, which is the farthest she’s ever gone. Of course, her husband planned the route and forgot that it was 10 miles, not 7 like he’d said. Now they are both in bed with sore knees, but at least the baby was playing happily with his aunt when they got back!
After choosing style over function Valerie sprained her toe and couldn’t run for 2 weeks, she finally “ran” two slow miles, although she told herself that she would only walk during the warm up and cool down, so she warmed-up and cooled-down most of the “run”.
Lauren ran 5 miles for the 2nd time this week, 3rd time in her life. Feeling groovy while on mile 4, she asked herself “Why not do 6.2 miles? Why not just run a 10k today?” She began to feel sweat down her back and responded to herself, “No thanks, 5 miles will do just fine!”
Just as I said the other day – one beautiful doe and three hot lawn maintenance guys made it worth the morning run. :-)
Ran 3.9 miles around the same route around my house, had to stop due to PMS induced nausea. And that 0.9 is seriously messing with my running OCD! May have to make it an even 4 even if I do puke.
The 43 year old mother runner had to deal with a leakage problem in mile four of todays seven miler. Two C-setions so why is this happening!!! Found bathroom and proceeded to drop my keys in the toilet. Are you kidding me? I would really like to have a sit down with the Running Gods.
I have to say, I mostly decide to like “Kate” to that I’d rather “run happy than run fast” ….but when I do make myself do hill repeats every so often, I am wheezing and feeling like I am going to die!
Ran 3 miles on the treadmill. First 2 sucked. Most of third was pretty good; then euphoria hit and I was jamming and loving running to my favorite tunes and thought I could go forever, and then I realized I had to be off the treadmill in 5 minutes if I was going to be ready to make my train. Note to self: no matter how hard it is get up earlier so you have more time in the euphoria zone!!!!
Running the same route I have run countless times in the past 12 years, I often wonder: why my legs feel so tired even though I am not logging high mileage or training for a long distance race; why my running gait feels and looks so awkward when I long to be a gazelle; why my hamstrings cause me so much grief even though I stretch, strengthen, do hot yoga, and try to treat them with the utmost care and respect; why my insides are sloshing even though I have had nothing to eat or drink for hours in preparation for the run; why my to-do list always is longer than the available hours in which I can actually accomplish the tasks; and most importantly, why I am thinking about all of this instead of being completely present in each glorious moment and feeling empowered, rejuvenated and inspired by the run.
Stephanie ran 8 miles on Wednesday bc her training plan said she needed to. Her husband took her younger daughter to school bc she could not find the address for the trail parking that had the nasty bathroom. She still didn’t start to 9ish bc she had to pee for a second time as soon as she went to turn her gps on. As she ran her out and back it go hot and the humidity did not fade the way she thought it would. By the half way point she though “What is that funny smacking sound I hear over my music?” It was her soaking wet running skirt hitting her legs. On her way back she felt pretty good for a while even though it was mostly up a long slow hill. Then she hit that last mile and sort of wanted to die. The hill didn’t look so bad but it just wouldn’t stop. She walked more then she cares to admit and finally said forget this turned around and ran the last .25 down hill even though her car was in the other direction. ON the walk back to the car she realized her underarms were chafed, drank all her water, and had her backup gu. Once there she sat around in the open minivan trunk drinking nuun and listening to a podcast. On her way home she missed 2 turns. She had the pleasure of teaching to group fitness classes on Thursday and has one to teach on Friday. She is dropping her 30 min run this week but will do the 50 min of intervals tomorrow. She is also trying to remember that most of her run was pretty great. Oh and she will be starting from the other nasty bathroom next week so she can run up before she runs down.
Stubborn mother runner ran 3 Thursday morning, trying not to be annoyed by running with hubby who ALWAYS runs 1 1/2 step ahead-the WHOLE WAY. Finally came to terms by deciding he was knocking down all the spider webs ahead of me. Of course, there really weren’t any spider webs, but IF there had been some, he’d have saved me from them. Guess that’s how I’ve stayed married to the goof these 40+ years!
Audra ran a whopping 1.33 miles, after not running for a month because she hurt her ankle, at a pace so slow that she didn’t want to look at her watch. She did and thought I can do better…next time. She then jumped on her bike and rode with her kids for 45 minutes and appreciated that quality time together. (Audra will run again soon!)
Mary ran 6 miles today, with a walking break around mile 5 so she didn’t hurl in front of the kids at the bus stop. What’s with the sensitive stomach today? Taking after the dog who’s been making a mess all over the house this week? uff
Kristi ran 6 mi today, it was supposed to be 8.5 but after diving into the bushes once with with major intestinal distress and a second time to hurl, she decided to head back to the car. Sadly she didn’t quite make it. This post was perfectly timed!!! It made me feel like I’m not alone! Love you all, mother runners!!
Danielle ran 2 miles in 30 min, beating herself up the entire time for having fallen off the wagon once again. She ended her run proud that she got out there, but scared of the upward downward spiral she is on right now.
Patti went out for a solo 6 mile run. Replayed in her head the entire argument she had with her husband the night before, and then come up with the EXACT comeback she would use, which – of course – is too late now. This then morphs into an argument she had with her mother 20 years earlier, and how she would change it now as her adult-self. This then leads to thoughts of what she will say to her 4 year old daughter when said daughter ultimately hits high school and wants to go on birth control. Ah….good times!
Rachel ran the first 3.5 of her 4 mile easy run in 80+ degree heat but stopped at mile 3.5 to enjoy a sprinkler and ended up walking the rest of the way home.
The funny thing is, I have bared my soul on DM! I met some of my best running friends there — they know me, my running ups and downs so well. I only remember a couple times where I put my DM post on Facebook, largely because I find it kind of annoying when people use it in place of DM!
Gina ran a 10k race today. She worked herself up so much before the race that she didn’t sleep all night, felt nauseous throughout her race and at the end peed herself (a little).
Joline ran 4.01 miles around the same hilly loop. Forced myself outside as I’m finally up to 10 minute run, one minute walk on my recovery. After 3 months to get here, I can’t go backwards. It was hot, humid and running up the hills I needed a mantra to keep it up. But I’m very happy I did it. I’m starting to feel like a runner again after 3 years of setbacks. Now to figure out how to keep it up with the school and work schedule. Very few miles are easy, but maybe felt “great” just means I’m grateful I did it?
Tanmy ran 8 miles with her running club at the trail. She ran the first four too fast while enjoying great conversation. The whole time she knew she would pay for it at the end. But it felt so good to be running well again. It’s been a tough summer of hard Tri training and her running has been crappy. At the turn around she told her running buddies to go on without her while she hit the port a potty. Stomach issues were starting. Being the good souls they are they waited and started the second four much slower. Tammy held on til the last mile when she told them to please go ahead while she shuffled along. One more month of tough training–thank god!
Ari ran 3 miles after realizing her sports bra was on backwards, (thankfully before she left the house) her Garmin decided to update it’s software and her WiFi connection crapped out so she couldn’t listen to podcast #177!!!! Ari is now icing her ankle and hoping her Sunday doesn’t continue the same way….
Kristen ran her longest run ever today and it felt great to have it done, even though she thought it totally sucked at the time. Having to run 62.5% of it at marathon pace didn’t help. And yes, she is a geek who calculates her degree of workout completed in percentages in order to forget how much she really misses that workout were over.
Kathy realized during mile 7 that the reason she felt better about her life when she ran was because it took every once of her being to concentrate and to keep moving herself forward. And her butt hurt. And her legs hurt. There was no room for the pain and emotion that filled the rest of her life while she out running. Then she giggled, and finished the 9 miles. And afterwards, her view of the world was improved, although nothing had changed in those miles except herself.
Shannon was less than a mile in when she realized that she hadn’t quite stepped in the built in undies in her running shorts correctly. Not only was she quite uncomfortable but the shorts seemed to be getting shorter and shorter. She had to duck in the woods to relocate the built in undies to their correct location. All while praying that she wasn’t standing near poison ivy or any neighborhood kids playing in the woods. The amazing thing is that she went right back to running once she was “adjusted”.