Asics, take me away!

Years ago there was a series of commercials that everyone knew about. Usually it was a woman who was having a stressful day with the kids and/or work, and when she would get home she would exclaim, "Calgon, take me away" and then she would take a bubble bath to escape from the realities of the day. I think we all need some form of escape from the realities of the world. Some people escape by playing golf; some escape by playing Farmville. I escape by running. Though I usually run at the start of the day, it seems to release whatever built up stress I have, and the day almost always seems to go better. Maybe the day goes better because I have started the day with a clean slate - getting rid of all my stress by pounding the pavement with my Asics. If I didn't realize how much running is my escape, Wednesday I was truly reminded. A rest day is a necessity for any physical activity. Rest allows your body to recover, and allows you muscles to strengthen so that you push harder and further. I knew I needed a rest day for my body on Wednesday, but I truly could feel the stress the rest of the day. That is not a bad thing - it just was a good reminder to me of one of the reasons that I run.

Thursday I did get back out and run, and I have to admit it was one of those runs that I would rather not had. 4 miles of drudgery. Did not want to do too much because I knew I planned on doing my long run on Friday, so I just slogged through the humidity of the day (when is Fall again?). I guess I felt better because I did it, but not at the time.

Monday's 7 miles was the longest run I have done since I ran the marathon on January 10. That is a long time. Today I ran 9. It really did feel good. When I set out this morning I set out to do 8, but in my heart I wanted to try to go for 9. I always feel like I have really accomplished something when I am able to push further than what I originally planned to do. The pace was not fast, and I didn't want it to be. Today I just wanted to push the distance, and I got it done with relative ease.

One note that I might add if you are new to running or thinking about taking it up. As you go for a run, sometimes you might need to take into consideration some of life's necessities. For instance, if it is going to be hot and humid, and you are going to be running more than 45 minutes, you really should be prepared to be able to take in some liquids somehow - either by running by you home and have some water stashed out there, or you can take some fluids with you by carrying a bottle or wearing a "fuel belt" that holds small water bottles around your waste. I also want to recommend that you plan your running route by making sure that if nature calls, you have a way to answer. The reality is brutal - if you are out running and bouncing for an hour or more, gravity is always at work. It can truly be a miserable feeling to have to run while feeling that gravity pull, if you know what I mean. That's all I'll say about that, but do try to plan for anything.