There is no shame in walking!!

At least that's what I have to keep telling myself everytime a huge hill kicks my ***. Today I went out for 8 miles, and the first four flew by. Then, after turning around at the halfway point, I grew so bored with the scenery (this one spot does it to me every time and I have no idea why), that I just stopped and walked for a minute.

As luck would have it, the minute I stopped, here comes the local Univ XC team like a pack of kenyans on crack. Zoom! I stood and marveled at the sight for a minute, then decided to keep going. Waiting straight ahead was the biggest hill of them all. My upcoming half has a ton of hills, and I knew I couldn't skip this thing. After all, it might kick my arse this time, but I want to kick arse in the half, too.

For some people, this would have been natural. For me, it cuts against the grain. I am not a hyper-aggressive runner. I run to be outdoors and just be alone with my breathing and my stride. It's friggin' heaven to me! So why do I feel like stopping for any period of time makes me any less of a runner? Who knows, probably the visions I got in my head of the upcoming half. Or maybe it was last week's 11.5 mile distance PB that needed no stops (it was the exact same route, just a different direction taken.)

I can remember a time in the past when stopping was actually joyful. Not because I was getting a needed rest, but because the road, my body, and my mind were issuing my soul a challenge.
"Can you really do this? Come on...a mile is like an inch to you now, are you telling me you can't run an inch, two inches, three more?"

No joke, this is the sort of thing that would be recurring in my head. I refer you back to my post about my first 10 mile run.


During every run, there is something there that will try to stop you. The mental aspect of running is perhaps the most challenging of them all. For once you have mastered your body, your mind can still manipulate it to any degree it deems fit in order to make you fail. But you have to remember, it is YOUR mind. So, commit to yourself, say this pledge:
"I, the runner, do solemnly vow to be mentally tough. I will not allow my brain to have the last word. Though the road ahead may be perilous, I know I will THINK it to be more so than it truly is . I AM IN CONTROL."

If your mind says "stop" do what I do (and yes, I am serious, and you should take this literally). YOU NEED TO SCREAM OUT LOUD, "NO, I WILL NOT STOP." You stop when your run is over. Not when you decide to end it. If a short break or two, or three, is what you need to REGROUP for a minute, THERE IS NO SHAME IN WALKING. It is better to take 5 for a hot second than to let your mind stay in a funk because you refuse to quit.

so maybe I'm a wuss, maybe not. One thing I do know, is that I love running with all my heart and soul, and I will do anything to make every run truly enjoyabe, even if it means taking a break or two!

Happy running.