There will always be another day and another run..

I'm behind again with my blogging. It's just so hard for me to be disciplined when it's so nice out!

My Lunchtime Workouts are in full swing so I can take advantage of the nice weather and do lots of fun stuff after work.

Last week and this weekend were a perfect example of that and I even maybe pushed it a little too far. Double booked Thurs and Friday nights, staying out wayy later than necessary in both instances, seeing a play (the Tony winner for best play, by the way.. Clybourne Park go see it!) then out for drinks with a new friend at a new bar w/ a fun juke box and a friendly bartender.

Friday night -- early drinks with ANOTHER new friend then out to a very fun piano bar where I sang along and belted out the words (or what I thought the words were) to all the great old piano bar standbys in my lovely voice, and laughed and drank and didn't want to leave until it was finally 4 am. So Much Fun. 

Grabbed a slice of pizza to keep all the beer in my stomach company (fun to see all the awesome cast of characters typically having a slice at 4 AM, it's been a while!) then home and to bed.

Then, BBQ all day Saturday - eating lots of delicious food, drinking lots of white wine and laughing and catching up in the sun on my new friends' amazing outdoor terrace (complete with outdoor sectional and fancy grill) uptown. I was in such a great mood when I left I opted to walk a very LONG leisurely walk home (110 blocks!) in the summery evening.

 Really good times. I am loving the summer so far.

Only thing that didn't love all these shenanigans was my Long Run this weekend.... First I had to make Long Run Saturday a Long Run Sunday because I stayed out so super late Friday plus had to trek it wayy uptown for the BBQ all day Saturday.

But -- I made myself stick to  do doing the run on Sunday.. AND, I thought I was going to die. For the first time I can ever remember, I set out to do a specific distance and quit before I was done.

Dammit.

I set out to do 10 miles - which has been my weekend long run distance for several weeks now. I ate breakfast and thought I hydrated properly (keeping in mind just how dehydrated all the Thurs - Sat. shenanigans had probably caused me to be). And set out at around noon.


Well it was freaking hot out. But, that really should not have impacted me the way it did. I have run in the heat and humidity before.

The first 3 miles felt great and I thought it was going to be a good run. Usually I can tell by mile 3 if it's going to be a constant struggle. This time, I could tell around mile 4 and it hit me.  Hard. I was really really thirsty, sweating a ton. I made it through until mile 6 - ate a couple honey stingers and continued until 7.5 miles - stopping at every. water. fountain.

Then at 7.5 miles I just stopped to rest. I just didn't care anymore. I walked a little in the shade, drank more water. Then felt ok and started up again at a slower pace until I hit 9 miles. And then quit altogether. walked home, picked up a bottle of Smart Water on the way, took a shower and passed out on my couch.

Such a bummer, this is the first time I just didn't care enough to push myself through it.


BUT.....................

I am not dwelling on it - I beat up my body for the 3 days prior - drinking too much, not getting enough sleep, then I go out running in high heat and humidity. What Did I Expect?

Plus, it was all worth it..

I love Tia Pol. We sat right there
at the bar, with a summery breeze
coming through the front.  It was
a pretty perfect evening.

It really was. I had such fun Thurs - Saturday. Doing new things with new friends and loving it all. Taking advantage of living in the best city in the world. I have always said I don't want running to get in the way of living life. There will be plenty of other runs, and easier and longer runs at that to be had another day!

And, instead of just crashing out all Sunday evening, I even managed to make it out to dinner at Tia Pol last night w/ my dear friend who just got back from a few weeks in Europe. The restaurant had its whole front open, we sat at the bar, shared an awesome bottle of muscadet cava (refreshing!) and stuffed our face with delicious food.

Afterall, I may not have run my full 10 miles but I still put in a good effort on the 9 - or at least the 7.5 of the 9... That deserves a little face stuffing.

Me on a better running day... 

Then to bed early and woke up this morning feeling dumb and lazy. Normal Monday morning stuff, but wow, I did not want to get out of bed. Or go to work. Or do anything once I got to work. I FORCED myself to the gym for lunch - but only because I have dinner plans w/ girlfriends who I miss and haven't seen in ages tonight. It was such a struggle to do my Lunchtime Workout.

BUT...... I can say, it's true. You never regret a workout, once you're done. Even if you half-ass it, maybe you regret half-assing it, but you don't regret GOING in the first place. Nor do you ever regret a run, even if you regret not going as far or as fast as you would have liked. It's so true.

I can get a little competitive on a good day. Just a little.
Sometimes...

So on that note I leave you with these few above truisms for my better running days. To inspire the return of such days in the near future. When I don't want to stop until I've met my distance goal of the day, don't feel like I'm running in quicksand and parched like a camel and do feel a little ready to race someone.

There will be more days like those. I'm not worried.

'Til then, I'm heading out to meet my girlfriends to catch up over another bottle of wine, stuff my face a little more and have a few laughs!