I heart running

photo by Seán Venn	via PhotoRee

Well, usually I heart running. I think the reason I have always loved running is because it's such a perfect analogy of life…

Sometimes it's great and you feel amazing. Sometimes it's hard and hurts like hell. Sometimes you quit. Sometimes your endurance surprises you. There are inclines — some steep and intimidating; some gradual, but still challenging. There are declines too — a chance to catch your breath, and yet carelessness here can lead to injury-causing mistakes. On some runs, you know your path. You know when it will be hard and when it will be easy and how fast you should be able to go. When you finish you are generally indifferent (eh, just average) or elated (usually followed by checking out your abs in the mirror). Then there are new runs. You've mapped it out, yet google fails to prepare you for the challenges of the road, so every hurdle you meet is a surprise.

I had one of those new runs today. The first part I knew — and I knew it was flat. I was flying and feeling good! However, I also knew the last part of the run would be a pretty significant downhill, which means, of course, that somewhere there is an uphill. About 1.5 miles in I take a left turn and there she is. It's such a beautiful, quiet street — yeah, if you're sitting on your front porch with a glass of wine! Which I am not. I, instead, am passing by each of those chic, cozy porches, panting like a dog in southern Texas. And I should note, this isn't one of those short, steep inclines where you sprint up it like a charging bull. This is one of those long, gradual, grindy (as the hubster calls it) hills. So here I am a couple blocks in and feeling NOT good. So I stop to fix my hair (no, it could not wait another second). And off I go again. My next turn is at 40th. I pass 38th (not sure if numbered blocks are good or bad in this case). I pass 39th. I'm so close!! I turn left on 40th and — it's uphill too. Awesome. Take the wind right on out of my sails, why don't you? I stop again — NO, not to fix my hair, just because I'm flippin' tired, alright? After a short recovery, I'm back on my way. A few more teeny uphills, some flat areas, mostly downhill. The last bit is long-ish and straight, the kind where you can see the finish line. I wanted to stop early and would have been totally justified in doing so (I had already met my mileage goal), but these are the moments when you conquer your mind. "BeckyJo," I say, "The chances that this will kill you are very slim. Suck it up biotch." (Excuse the language, I can't control my tongue when I'm tired, and I'm just being honest.)  And so I sucked it up and I finished strong. And you know what? I still didn't feel that great. I was tired and had a stomachache and my time kind of sucked. But you know what else? I'll keep doing it. In running and in life, you shoot for the high… it's always there somewhere. So suck it up biotches, alright? :)