Early in the Morning

Running early in the morning is so nice. You can run uninhibited by those around you, because there really is no one there. When I woke up this morning, it was still freezing outside and last night's snowfall still covered the ground. By the time I left the gym after my workout and shower, nearly all of the snow that had fallen last night had melted and it was significantly warmer. It's cool to think that in so short a period of time the weather could change so much.

But I digress. Running in the morning is just the best. Fewer people. Fewer cars. Less sound. Fewer distractions. Running in the gym is similar in that there are few, if any, college students willing to wake up and go to the gym at 7:00 am. This morning was a good run for me (I usually don't run on Thursdays but as I couldn't yesterday...). Two girls, who looked more like twigs, got on the treadmills next to me and started running about a minute before I did (I took a minute or so to stretch). I was so proud of myself for the following reasons: I was able to run at a constant speed for 20:00, and then I pushed myself to complete the 24:00 to finish up 2.0 miles. The girl directly next to me ran for about a mile, walked for 5:00 and then she ran faster than she was capable and soon had to slow down to her original speed. I know I shouldn't be paying attention to other people and their runs, as they really have nothing to do with me, but it helps me reaffirm my runs in some ways.

Firstly, just because I'm fat doesn't mean I can't be in good shape. When I started, my max runs were only 1.0 miles and on rest days I had to push myself to do 0.5 miles. With those girls running next to me, it helped me to remember that I shouldn't care what I look like versus what they look like: at the end of the day, I have better endurance than they do. Now, my average run is 20:00 instead of 12:00. I think that's pretty cool. Secondly, I know my limits. I'm okay with running 5.2 mph. I know I'm not a super-fit-103-pound-cross-country athlete. I'm okay with that. I'd rather be able to run for an extended amount of time at my pace than burn myself out at someone else's. That's important to remember, as well. So thank you, skinny girls. You helped me learn an important lesson today.

I realize that I have no goal for the moment, and I really should. My next goal will be to run 25:00 at 5.3 mph. I'll step it up a notch and challenge myself, but I know how far I can feasibly push myself. I'd like to transition to have 24:00 be my average run time.

Also, just as a side note, I am completely in love with my spandex. New water bottle is cool, but the spandex were definitely the better investment.