A Second Wind

Within the last few months I've picked up running. I try to get in three or four runs a week, so my running adventures will probably be a pretty common theme on here.

I'm currently training for the Shamrock 8K in Virginia Beach, VA. Its in ten days and I feel nowhere near ready. Just so you don't have to go look it up like I did, 8K is just barely under five miles. The furthest I've run is 3.7 miles, but I think I could easily do 4 if I tried.

Last night I went for my first run in about a week or so. I've been fighting this head cold that's left me with a nasty, nasty cough. I tried to go for a run on Saturday to take advantage of some warmer weather, but I was a wheezing mess in about a half a mile.

So last night I decided it was time to hit the road again. Before I left, I told myself that I would do what I could do, it didn't matter how far or how fast I ran, or if I needed to take a break to catch my breath.

Off I went. All in all I covered 2.4 miles. The first mile and a quarter were nearly impossible. I couldn't breathe or stop coughing, I had a stitch in my side, and my form was all over the place. I felt like I was slowly waddling/trudging to what would certainly be agony.

As awful as the first part of my run was, the second half was as good. It came all of a sudden. I could breathe, my cramps went away, and my form was back to normal. I felt great. It was a second wind.

Even though I didn't set a PR and I certainly fell short of that elusive 4 mile mark, I learned an important lesson. Just because the run starts out crappy, doesn't mean it needs to stay that way. As almost any runner will tell you, lessons in running can easily be transferred to life. Everything we do is what we make it, there is always the opportunity to improve and to make up for a disappointment. I think this was an important lesson for me to learn: I'm in control and things can always get better.

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for reading!