Last night I set out for my 9 miler and the good news was that the temps had cooled, but the bad news was that a storm was blowing in. Here in FL, summer also means "rainy season" aka "hurricane season" and storms can brew up very quickly and you haven't seen rain until you've seen tropical rain; however, I wasn't gonna back down from the long run. In the first mile, it drizzled on me, which was fine -- I don't melt -- but then the lightening and thunder started.
Florida is the lightening capitol of the US -- more people get struck by lightening here than in any other state, so there's either lots of electric activity or a lot of people cursing God; I don't know which.
Anyway, at mile 2, I see it -- the wall of rain -- and it's coming for me. Also at mile 2, a blade of lightening serrated the sky right above my head and the thunder that followed was loud enough to make my heart jump into my throat. I turned around right there. Running through rain is one thing, but running in lightening is just idiotic. So I headed home. I got soaked in the torrential rain and I was nervous the whole way home that I would get struck by a bolt of lightening (I occassionally curse God, so I figure one of these days, I have it coming).
I got home after 4 miles, drenched, a little nervous, and disappointed that I had achieved so little. Thus, I resolved that this morning I would exonerate myself by rising early and getting my 3 miler in before work. Well, I did get up, did get out running, but my 3 miles sucked. I even walked for a quarter mile. Seriously, I felt kinda like crying because the two runs had gone so badly. The past few days my energy has been so low, I've been tired, kinda cranky, and mentally mucky, and usually running helps with those kinds of funks, but between the past two runs, running has only contributed to the "mean reds."
I know, I know, "tomorrow's another day" and all that crap. I know I'll lift myself up out of the poopiness and sometime later this week or next I'll have a great run that puts me back on top of the world, but right now I'm disappointed and frustrated and filled with self-doubt. Damn you running! You break my heart sometimes!
14 comments:
Seriously! I swear we are the exact same about running right now. I'm feeling a lot of what you wrote - you just had more nerve to write it than me. I'm glad you chose not to run in that. That's just plain stupid (sorry If I offended any storm runners out there). I'm feeling icky, fat, little depressed, tired, not motivated to run at all) too...
We can pull out of it Jess! Just don't worry about the LR this week, and focus on making time for it this weekend! I totally blew off a 5K, and a LR this weekend... so - listening to me may make ya worse!
Hope the rest of your Monday is good!
We've had our share of electrical storms here in Oklahoma lately too. They are too dangerous to play with and can foul a good schedule up in a hurry....it will get better....cross your fingers, but don't hold them up in the air.
Amen!!! Running is def love/hate. You're right, you will pull yourself out! It's too bad the weather wasn't more cooperative. That's some crazy shiznit. I wouldn't be running in that either.
I think sometimes the heat can take the energy/motivation right out of us as well!
You attempted, and you have no control over the weather. It was out of your hands!
Good luck with your next run!
You're a fantastic athlete! You'll be ready to kick some major pavement butt again in no time!
dood.
yer still fantastic whether you can run in the rain and lightning or not.
florida gets hit by lightning a lot because it's all so flat, right? no hills = people are the lightning rods.
totally understand.
at this point it can only get better! :)
maybe the stats about lightning strikes are skewed because of old men holding golf clubs during t-storms. I'm scared of the mosquitos at night too. sometimes crying makes you feel better...hope your day improved.
Just cross it off and move forward...I know you know it but I still had to say it. Seriously it's over and now you can start fresh next weekend. Life happens and we just have to roll with it.
I remember when I was on my first half marathon program I totally had to quit on my eight mile run and then my ten got cut short and I was crying in my soup. It still ended up ok!
You can't control the weather, just take good care of yourself and everything will fall back in line before you know it...
(((Jess)) Hang in there!
LOL. No advice from me. You already got it goin on :-)
running is being such a f'er!
The only time my various running groups have ever cancelled runs is because of lightning. So better safe than sorry.
Post a Comment