Every knows that there are times where they are their own worst enemy. They make excuses to convince themselves that it is okay to slack off in certian areas. I have always had this problem. However in high school the problem caused me to do eight miles instead of ten, in college it just flat out keeps me from running. I run into these obstacles often and today was no exception.
This morning I had to wake up early for an education practicum. This is where as an education major you have to sit and observe an actual high school classroom and the methods of an actual high school teacher, occasionaly you help out or you even teach a lesson. The problem with this is waking up at 6:30 after going to bed at 2:00 the night before. It causes you to become sluggish for the day not wanting to do anything nevermind run.
Between the practicum and the convenient placement of classes I also didn't have anything to eat today, which made me wonder why I wasn't so hungry during the run. Regardless, the number one excuse that has kept me from running is school work. I have two quizzes and a mid term in the next two days. Normally all of that would keep me from running but today was different.
I left my last class of the day at 2:30 with all of the above racking through my brain. "I should get a start on my homework." However, I was able to stop this excuse from getting the better of me, by knowing that I spend enough time becoming familiar with facebook and youtube that running wouldn't take a huge dent out of my academic schedule. When I get back to my apartment from class another thought creeps into my mind. "I haven't had anything to eat all day." This could prove detrimental to the run because running without food could obviously cause you to pass out. However, I was becoming more and more determined today, so I took a few of my roommates fig newtons and began to get ready for my run.
I knew I wasn't going to go for long, so I put on my bad shorts. Every runner has a pair. They are either ugly or uncomfortable or too long, regardless its a runner's least favorite pair of shorts and they normally save them for their shortest or worst run. I put on my bad shorts, which is a good indicator I wasn't expecting much from this two mile run.
With my ID card in my shoe, to get back in the room, I put on the contents of my new package and raced out of the comforts of my apartment. The autumn air was the first to greet me and did so with a rather cold reception. My underused wristwatch clicked, the seconds ticked, and I start running off the campus.
The next person to see me was a friend from high school, who was leaving class on his way back to his off-campus house. He was on a bike and stuck out his hand for a high five upon seeing me. I was known as the kid that always running back in high school. He was probably assuming that I never stopped running. I was comfortable with him not knowing about my hiatus because hopefully in the next few weeks I will be back.
The next person to see me was running in the opposite direction. He was an Orietnation Leader with me, which is where I met him. The same brief but friendly exchange was given and we were both on our way. In the brief moment of these two friends seeing me I began to feel welcomed back into the community that I once belonged to in high school....the runners. I began to surge ahead down the sidewalk, weaving in and out of grade schoolers just being dismissed from class. A little girl in her school jumper timidly awaited for her moment to be able to safely use the crosswalk, while I barreled by her braving the elements of oncoming traffic, like any common runner would. As I passed my favorite pizza place, Big Tony's. I began to crave what I have been eating so much of in the past few years. There would be plenty of time for that later, but for now I had a run to finish.
Just after Big Tony's, I took a turn down a suburban street. Providence College is in the middle of the city and can be surrounded by some pretty bad areas but only a few blocks away is North Providence, which is a beautiful suburban section of town. I was still riding on that runners high when entering this portion of town. It was a straight shot for a quarter of a mile on a completely still suburban street. As I ran down the middle, I began to have flashbacks of running through the beauitful neighborhoods of Fairfield, with my comrades who back then I called roommates. It began to feel good. It began to feel like I was back and ready for training once again. I was doing everything I did in high school. I was powering up hills and cresting over the top of them. I would cut the tangents of turns so that I could get the best possible time.
This feeling eventually subsided once campus was insight. I could never be sure if it was the lack of running or the lack of eating, but I began to get stomach stitches which are the bane of any runner's existance. Once you get those you can breath differently, you can try to run through them, but not matter what you do they are going to take you out. I began to run on the grass heading back towards my apartment building once again feeling pretty okay about the run in general. I clicked my watch and frowned at the sight of the time. Seventeen minutes is an atrocious time for 2 miles. I was going to be upset but I realized that I felt good out there and did what I could. It became very real to me that this was something that wasn't going to happen overnight, and that no matter how I feel, the time on the watch is what is really important.
I'm trying to be a runner again, and runners aren't supposed to feel good.
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