First Run of 2013

This morning, Liz and I headed out into the early AM and ran around the boulevard. It was our first official run of 2013, and it was a rough re-introduction after many months away.

Technically, we brought all our gym stuff on the boat when we went on a cruise in January. So that should have been our first run of the year. But that didn’t work out so well. And when I say it didn’t work out, what I mean is that we never went to the gym (unlike Katie and Dan, who were pretty amazing about going).

I have to confess – this morning, I was pretty frustrated. And I was directing all of that frustration onto my poor wife. We had talked about picking up our running routine again, but in my head… mentally, I wasn’t ready yet.

I think, when I actually put my mind towards something and actually commit to doing something… I’m good. More often than not, I see that thing through to completion. I’m stubborn like that, and once my mind’s made up… I’d like to think I’ve made a promise to myself in a way. I’m focused.

But when I haven’t made that metal commitment, I’m unpleasant to be around. I’m looking for the fastest out, wondering how soon something will end. This morning was not one of my better days.

So I’ve got some mental work to do, to get myself into that place where I want to run again. I need to shift myself from feeling obligated to feeling dedicated. It’s happening a bit, slowly… begrudgingly.

This morning, we set a fairly moderate pace: run 5 minutes, walk for about 90 seconds, repeat. We got 4 sets in, though we cut it a little short at the end. Despite having switched over to podcasts as a method of distraction, I’ve fallen back to listening to music.

For right now, I expect I’ll still be listening to songs in the short-term. Until I can get my stamina up, I’m going to be concentrating on smaller, shorter bursts. But hopefully after a few sessions, I can get back to trying to go for time – running upwards of 20+ minutes without stopping.

And then, maybe after that, going after distance/speed a little more.

I have my eyebrow raised in the direction of the Warrior Dash. Not sure yet if I can actually do a 5K, but having made some good progress running last fall… I feel slightly optimistic.

Related:
Couch to 5K (Without the 5K)
Caribbean Cruise, Day 1: Embarkation