More random things running has taught me

Yesterday I did one freaking hard workout.  It was a threshold workout that consisted of three 2-mile repeats at at 8:43 pace, with a roughly 3-mile warm-up and a 1.5 mile cool down--roughly 10.5 total miles. 

While that workout is hard enough in and of itself, I made it harder by doing it outside on all the hilly hills around my house instead of on the treadmill.  This decision was made because temps were again in the mid-60s, and you just can't waste a summer morning like that by staying inside and staring at a blue wall whilst slogging away on the treadmill.

But as I was getting ready to go do the run, I didn't think I could do it.

The distance and the hills (not so much the pace--8:43 I can totally handle) and the amount of 2 mile repeats were all getting in my head and forming a big ball of doubt.  But I forced myself outside and you know what happened?  I totally crushed that workout.

I've been running for a little over 9 years now, and you'd think I wouldn't doubt myself before a run anymore--but nope.  But I also love proving to myself that I can do the things I think I can't do, which is the one thing that motivates me to get out and do a run that I am fearful of doing.  It's one of those things I've learned in my 9-ish years of running--that I can do more than I think I can.  It's also taught me some other things along the way as well, which shall now be enumerated in a bulleted list for your viewing pleasure:

• I'm not invincible.  Sometimes I get injured because I'm playing fast and loose with recovery days or run too many races without enough rest.  When injuries start to crop up, preventative maintenance is needed - such as ice baths accompanied by cats with WHOA faces.

• Getting enough rest is essential.  Sleep is essential for getting the most out of your runs and for recovering/getting stronger.  It is also essential for staying awake at work the entire time and not wanting a nap at 2 PM because you got up at 3 AM to get that run done.  
• You'll always feel better if you just shut-up and get that run done.  At least, that's what the master of naps says in our house.

Hyooman.  Go running so you GO AWAY

• Consistency is key.  I've said this in previous posts, and I'll say it again - if you want to be better at running, you have to run consistently and with the intent to get better.  That's true for running ot anything in life, really.
• It's a hill.  Get over it.  Yesterday's run was full of annoying little rolling hills.  But because I was running for a certain pace, I told myself to power through them (up them, really), get over the hill (literally and mentally) and get to the downhill part as fast as possible.  It wasn't always easy and I wanted to stop and cry several times (especially when I had to run 0.25 uphill *sob*), but I kept going because I knew my post-workout would be beating myself up mentally for stopping.  Plus, I'm training for Twin Cities, which is known for its hill back half--what better training could there be for it but an elevation profile that looks like this?

holy hills

• Running is always better with a buddy.  Even if that buddy is constantly trying to pull you sideways into a ditch while you're trying to run in a forward direction and slobbers on himself during the entire run.

So much slobber.

• Skinnier doesn't mean stronger.  I used to be 20 pounds lighter than I am now, as shown in the pic below after my 4th 5K ever about 9 years ago.  However, that girl couldn't run a marathon, grit her teeth through an ice bath, or even think about running all the crazy hills I do now.

And she definitely wouldn't have thought about running over 10-ish in just a sports bra and shorts before going to work on a Tuesday morning, like the girl below does on the regular.

Tomorrow's workout:  I still have one more thing to learn - how to get tomorrow's 17-mile long run in before the heat gets all crazy while still attending a 5K with my dog at 8 AM at a location 35 minutes away.  So, if anyone has any helpful suggestions about how to solve the word problem I just gave in the previous sentence, I would welcome them (other than "skip the run you psychopath").  Myself, I forsee a 4 AM start time in my future....so if you're in my area Saturday morning and you see a bobbing white light following by a green blinky one on a lone country road, it's just crazy little me running in the dark.  Nothing to see there.

Consistency and gratuitous animal pictures are the key.

Sometimes it's really hard to get out of bed and get my workout done in the wee hours of the AM.  He knows what I'm talking about.

Mom..stop waking me up when you get out of bed.

But getting up early and doing my workout before I go to work is a habit that I formed way back in 2004/5, and that consistency has helped me not only lose weight but also train for those little marathons and duathlons that I do.  In fact, I would say that consistency is key in helping you reach any of your fitness and/or weight loss goals.  But consistency in what, exactly?  Well...

Consistency in eating.

You have to consistently eat real, good-for-you food in order to lose weight and just be healthy in general.  I have had to learn this about 53 times, but I think it's finally starting to sink in, as you can see from my newly-found motivation to food prep like crazy these days:

Chicken Salsa Verde for lunch - FIESTA IN MY MOUTH

Consistency in getting those workouts done anyway you can.

I'm a lucky person that happens to own her own treadmill and a spin bike, so if I can't run or ride outside I have an alternative.  But when I didn't have those things, I still tried to get some workout in (usually a workout DVD) so I could at least say I burned some calories and did my workout duty for the day - and so I could keep up the habit of working out.  I don't know about you, but if I stop working out for 2 or more days, my brain starts thinking that's a permanent thing.


Consistency in post-workout selfies.

If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it, did it really happen?  If a workout is done and no selfie taken, did the workout really happen?  These are just the same question with different words, people.

Dog-verified post-workout selfie.

Consistency in rest and recovery.

In case you don't know what "rest" or "recovery" looks like, here's a good example.

If you don't ever recover or get enough rest, your body won't heal and then your workouts and races will begin to suck.  And sucking is to be avoided at all costs. 

Consistency in sucking it up, buttercup.

You have to do the workouts you don't want to do.  For me, these workouts are anything that includes the words "mile" and "repeats."  You have to do these workouts because those are the workouts that are usually good for your growth, development, and helping you fine tune your mental "suck it up, buttercup"edness.

Consistency in helping others see they can do it too.

One reason I started this blog was to help me maintain consistency by writing all sorts of facetious garbage on it.  In other words, I started it for myself.  But others have unexpectedly and sometimes weirdly gained inspiration from all this facetious garbage, helping them see that they can do it too.  While I'm always supportive of anyone on a journey to better fitness and weight loss, I think sometimes we have to make that support more intentional.  For example, writing a post about consistency and actually including helpful suggestions rather than just silly things that sometimes include gratuitous pictures of animals. 

Consistency in including pictures of your animals in your blog posts.

Ooops how did these gratuitous pictures of animals get here?!? 

Consistency in ending your posts with stupid non-educational learnings:

• Just in case you were wondering, I did my workouts for the past two days: a bike ride and some mile repeats this morning.
• I had to so suck it up, buttercup, to get those mile repeats done this morning.  Buh.
• Along with a duty to support others in their fitness goals, I feel it is my duty to share pictures of my animals.
• Seriously, consistency is the key.  Although I wish I could workout once or twice, eat a few sprigs of broccoli, get a fantastic body, and then move on my with my life.

Tomorrow's workout: 5 mile easy run.