Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Track workout in the garden of good and evil...

Some days I just really need to run with people. I am not sure if it is because I am lazy or because I just prefer walking. (Or is that the same thing?) Either way – I am happy the rain stopped before we hit the track last night – because otherwise I would have to go to Plan B.

Plan B is the treadmill. When I first started to run, I loved the treadmill. You’ve got your TV, the temperature-controlled gym, the very flat course – I mean the conditions are perfect. But somewhere around mile 4 or 5 – I start to get really ticked off at whatever is on the TV. I start to criticize (silently of course) people who come into the gym and spend 20 minutes on the treadmill and leave. (And wonder how the heck they are so thin when they barely broke a sweat!) And I actually start to envy anyone who is outside. All in all – this is not how I want to feel when I am working out.


So while I was glad I got to go to the track, I was less than thrilled with the workout in place. We basically had to run a mile at our specific paces – cool down for a loop – run two miles at our goal pace – cool down and then run another mile at pace. It didn’t look so bad on paper – but ouch! Had I gone to the gym – I am not sure this would have been completed. As it was – I wasn’t sure I was going to finish it on the track.
When I run – I spend half of my time thinking of excuses as to why I should stop. I am not kidding. I do not think this is normal. But it actually passes the time. I spend the other half of my time thinking about why I should finish. This is probably the runner’s equivalent of the angel on one should – the devil on the other. My inner devil runner is pretty convincing, though. If it were just me and the devil – boy, I am sure we’d be sitting on the couch eating cookies instead of running.

While the angel on my shoulder is incredibly quiet and shy – my running group is a bit more vocal. Thankfully. The shouts of encouragement and high fives – as they finish their workouts and head to their cars - are exactly what I need. Sure, they’re home eating dinner by the time I round that last lap – but it is satisfying to know that I completed the workout I was supposed to do. Now – if I could just stay away from the coach and cookies…..

1 comment:

  1. Colleen,
    You are just the coolest cat! I love you and your complete honesty about things. You are the real deal--you and that angel...keep it up!
    Kim

    ReplyDelete