Some days running is wonderful and some days it’s more like a chore. Today was one of those days. I had to run earlier than usual because I had a dinner date. I loaded some great new songs on my iPod that turned out not to be right (sorry Katy Perry, but Rise just doesn’t have the running beat). It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and though I wore dark glasses, I had forgotten my hat which did not add to my level of comfort.
After 1,5km I had to wait because the bridge was open to let a boat pass through. By that time my side was already hurting. Then my favorite part of my run, the boulevard, had turned into a beach summer festival. There were dozens of PokemonGo players hunting for weird little monsters and not watching where they were going so I had to dodge a few of them. I just could not hit my stride today.
So what do I do on days like this? (And believe me, everyone has them)
First of all, no matter what, I run at least 5k. It doesn’t have to be pretty and it won’t be fast but I’ll see it through.
Secondly, I turn my run into interval training:
– If I’m out of breath I’ll pick a somewhat slower song to get my rhythm back
– If that won’t work I’ll stop to do some stretching, as many times as it takes
Thirdly, I play a favorite song that gets me back in the running mood
And hopefully, by the time I finish 5k I feel good enough to add another km like I was able to do today.
Whatever happens during your run and no matter how much of a struggle it can be, feel proud when you’re done. You just completed a difficult 5k even though it hurt. Runs like these make you strong and help you grow so never give up!
Happy running!
