"Recovered"

I performed Polar's OwnOptimizer this morning with a result of 1--"Your test heart rates are lower than average. This indicates that you have recovered very well." Is that what you call it, "recovered?" I call it lazy. I only ran once last week, 4 miles on Tuesday night. And, I think I must have been bitten by the dreaded African tsetse fly because I slept all day yesterday.

Well, the Polar test and yesterday's lethargy were just enough motivation to get me down to Town Lake this morning. It was drizzling so the trail was fairly sparse, no dodging people just puddles. I had originally embarked on a 4 mile run, but decided to do 5 miles while on the trail so that my weekly mileage would be a paltry 9 miles instead of 8. The last 1.5 miles were hard, and I had to use mental techniques such as "Be Your Own Hero" and "...but it doesn't matter."

I imagined another runner a few feet in front of me with the familiar Asic stripes on his shoes. He appeared to be a little unsteady and seemed to be favoring his left foot. I passed him like he was standing still, and when I turned my head, I realized it was Patrick Nolan: Man Without a Shoe. After this joyous victory, I went home and picked up the dog sh*t in the back yard.

The other mental technique that I use to keep negative thoughts at bay is "but it doesn't matter." I am really tired, my lower back aches, and my left knee is starting to hurt..."but it doesn't matter." I finished the run and felt really great.

I always feel better after a run than I do before it, and try to remember this in order to remain positive. Whenever I find myself making excuses and thinking: I am tired. I have been at work 12 hours. I am hungry. I have an early morning meeting. Then, I think to myself..."but it doesn't matter!!"