Mental Strength

Today was a tough run for several reasons, but I want to document it in case I feel like an unprepared wuss in 2.5 months.  I can look back at today as evidence of my dedication to getting a new PR in Boston.

Hubby went home yesterday.  Wait, I have to do a quick aside.

In my efforts to be a good wife (and to get a few more kisses before he left), I drove him to the airport and went straight from the airport to my jeweler's, which is downtown, but not walking distance from my office.  I was getting my new dress watch that I got for Christmas resized and I was dropping off my smaller charm bracelet to have a bunch of charms added.  Right in the food court outside my jeweler is a Taco Bell. 

As a vegetarian, fast food has always been more challenging than it was when I was younger and ate meat.  About 8 years ago, I was with a co-worker in line at Taco Bell at 2:30 in the morning (the best time to be there) and the guy in front of us got a taco with beans instead of beef.  I'd never considered doing that, and it immediately became my new standard Taco Bell order. 

But in the last few years, my life has changed so that I rarely eat fast food.  Sure, I do it when we're on the road, but that's rare, and even then, we lean toward something like Subway.  In terms of fast food, for me personally, my usual fave options (if you'd asked me a few days ago), in order, would be Sonic, Subway, Taco Bell, Wendy's.  And they were all pretty close in ranking.  Basically I'd be fine with going to any of them.  I'd guess I eat at Subway about 4 times per year and at the other three combined about 6-8 times per year.  Average of one fast food meal per month, but even that might be higher than it really is. 

Well, since I don't eat fast food often, it sounds fine in my mind.  Like mmm, I'd be happy to eat Taco Bell right now.  But I don't.  It's just not very convenient for me since I usually have my lunch with me at work and since I usually eat dinner with my husband at home or at a regular restaurant. 

So I took hubby to the airport and then went to the jeweler and while I was waiting on my watch, I decided to pick up some bean tacos to bring back to work for lunch. 

Bleh.  I think I can officially say that I no longer like Taco Bell.  It was definitely not good and I'd either forgotten how not good it is or it's gotten much worse since I last ate it. 

So back to my point.  Why this morning's run is something I need to remember when I doubt myself.  Hubby is out of town so there was no one to get me to bed on time last night.  I went to bed a little late because I was putting away stuff we'd bought on Tuesday and watching some trash tv (I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant).  I got in bed and started reading.  And kept reading.  And kept reading.  And eventually fell asleep with the lights on.  Oops.

So barrier number 1 to running today:  overly tired.

I got up and saw it was in the low 50s.  Shorts and long sleeves.  Fine.  Drove to the start point in mist/rain.

Barrier number 2 to running today:  wet.

And then talked to a few friends and found out the cold front was arriving subito (that's Italian for right now).  We set off for our longest weekday run to date this season, 10 miles, which is going to be a distance we have to do one weekday per week pretty much every week.  So I need to get used to it, but I knew it wasn't going to be particularly fun today. 

Barrier number 3 to running today:  high miles.  10 before work could be too tiring.

We were supposed to run 3 miles easy, 5 miles at the next highest heart rate zone, then 2 miles easy.  First faster run of the season (aside from the lactate threshold 10k race).  That also made me nervous. 

Barrier number 4 to running today:  harder effort than before.

Fortunately the course wasn't long today because it was an out-and-back.  And I'd grabbed a cap and gloves, so I was completely comfortable running to the u-turn.  Then I turned and the cold front had arrived.

I ran the 5 miles back in rapidly dropping temperatures, major wind gusts, and cold rain that at times felt like it was driving right under my hat and into my face.

Barrier number 5 to running today:  weather sucked.

If there had been any possible way to have cut the run short, I think I would have.  But that just wasn't an option, so I kept on going. 

I logged a solid 10 miles before work today!  In the cold!  In the rain!  I'm proud of myself for doing it, despite having numerous ready-made excuses at my disposal. 

Ugh.  It was good my hubby was out of town b/c I cranked the heat in the house to 84 and just felt like I could not get warm.  Finally I got in a very hot shower and eventually warmed up, but I kept the heat set to over 80  until I left for work. 

I think next week is going to be colder again, so maybe I'll look back on today fondly because at least I didn't start off frozen...