When You Have a Crappy Run

photo 2.JPG

Well, this looks a little different from my usual running route, right?

I was in NJ this weekend for my high school friend Marisa’s baby shower, so I ran in NJ.

201303101949.jpg

I’m so excited for her! She’s due in May, but I chose to hear she’s due on Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Baby?

I ended up sleeping for 12 hours on Friday night, so a run pre-shower didn’t happen, and the shower went long, so a run afterwards didn’t happen. I was kind of bummed at myself, but it was what it was.

I woke up this morning and, quite honestly, had no desire to run. 15 miles? I was tired, my bed was wonderful, I didn’t want to run alone, running in NJ is more boring than running in NYC.

[Side note on suburban running? Or at least suburban Bergen County running? Cars will literally drive over the yellow line to avoid coming anywhere near you…which, you know, probably creates its own problems.]

I woke up and did sunflower butter on an English muffin with a banana, puttered around some more, and finally got going around 10 or 10:30.

I still wasn’t feeling it, so I popped in one headphone and got going. I rarely run with headphones, so I reserve headphones for when I really need them: when I’m not feeling motivated or when spending hours with my own thoughts is the last thing on earth I want to do. Today? Both.

I know how negative self-talk can really sabotage a run, so I tried early on to reframe my thoughts. THIS IS GREAT! YOU’RE HAVING FUN! WHAT A GREAT RUN! I didn’t get pissed at myself (which sometimes happens when I try to talk myself happy during a run), but I didn’t totally turn things around either, though it did help a bit. I stopped to take a Gu at mile 6, and hoped and prayed that the run would get better.

It had gone from just not being into it mentally to my body not cooperating either. Upset stomach, fatigued legs, tight chest. DEAR GU, PLEASE DO YOUR MAGIC.

Spoiler alert: they forgot to sprinkle the magic in the Gu, and the run never got better.

photo 1.JPG

Around mile 7 I stopped at Dunkin’ to use the bathroom and saw this ice cream truck. It looks delicious now, but at the time, it made my stomach turn even more to think about digesting dairy.

Somewhere around mile 8, I realized how depleted I felt and that I didn’t want to run myself down any further so close to my goal race, and I made the decision to end at 9 miles and call it a day. My mom met me at Starbucks (yay suburban running?) and gave me a ride home. I felt a little weak as I got in the car, so I know I made the right decision as frustrating as it was.

I emailed Jess basically the second I stopped to tell her how (poorly) the run had gone. She reminded me to eat healthy, stretch, recover and take it easy this week and “shake it off.” I stopped for a soy latte and tried to let it go. Tomorrow is a new day, and I have 5 more days to rest and get this bad run behind me.

Bad run, great race?

17 comments on “When You Have a Crappy Run

  1. maria

    I had a bad run today too. It was actually a race…..I neglected to look at the elevation graph because I live in a super flat area and there are never any hills, but somehow this race was ridiculous! And it was 10.4 k instead of 10k. And now I’m laying in bed with a seriously upset stomach. Better luck next time, right?

    Reply
  2. Shannon @ Mon Amour

    I had a really crappy run Saturday that sucked up all of my confidence. I ended up cutting it short as well. I was pissed about it for a few hours but then juust let it go, knowing that bad runs are part of the process

    Reply
  3. Amy @ Writing While Running

    Hi. I just started reading and I did a 20K race in NJ today, Middlesex County so much further south than where you were, but it was all in a park so it was wonderful not having to deal with Jersey drivers. They are, in fact, a problem. They either go all out to avoid you or see you are about to cross a road and then speed up. I moved here recently from Colorado and the first thing I noticed was the drivers and worried about the possibility of running/biking around here. Some long run days are just not meant to happen. Shake it off and you will be fine.

    Reply
  4. Gianna

    Ugh I hate having a bad run so close to a goal race. But you have the week to recover and some times the best that you can do is listen to your body it is often telling us what we need. Rest up!

    Reply
  5. Barbara

    Way to keep going through 9 miles! You will totally be ready for your race, and if you can struggle through 9 on a bad day, you’ll be able to push those last 2 or 3 on race day!

    Reply
  6. Liz H

    Yes! If only bc you will be ready to redeem yourself after this weekend’s run! And I always hate running at my parent’s house – even though Michigan is pretty, it just can’t compare to the path along Lake Michigan or your routes in NYC! Here’s to crushing 13.1 in DC!

    Reply
  7. Jen @ Jens Best Life

    My legs were crazy tired on Saturday’s long run, too! It was exhausting beyond normal levels and I’m not sure why!

    And I remember seeing cars do the same thing making too much room in WA. It almost scares me more because I worry they’ll hit another car!

    Reply
  8. Jen

    I’ve been working INSANE hours and skipping runs/having bad ones/trying to survive until the hours improve. Here’s to hoping it gets better soon!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to emily @ 2:design:cents Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.