With the holiday of love upon us, I feel it is only appropriate to share a few things about the topic. No, I am not going to talk about why I love to run. Who ever said that was a love of mine? Not me. I do it, I don't always love it though. It's probably safe to assume that's true for all four of us.
No, instead I want to share some of the things I love when I run... A top 10 list... Here goes...
10. Stretching. I know this may sound lame, but I love that feeling of stretching out my legs before and after a run regardless of how long we are going. I am also a fan of yoga, which Samantha has referenced. Don't let her fool you, she did great at that class. She just didn't recover all that well...
9. The weather. Not something you can control by any stretch of the means, but something that affects my mood in the greatest way. When there is a bright, sunny day, but still slightly chilly, running can actually be fun for me. Give me hot and humid- 90% of the year in South MS- and you'll most likely get attitude.
8. Friendly waves from other runners. There seems to be an unspoken community among those frequenting one of our running locales. While the only interaction may be a slight hand movement in the general direction of the other while passing, there is that unspoken commonality- almost like you're in the same secret club... Cyclists who yell at you, well that's a whole different story.
7. Getting through the first half mile. If I am going to quit on a run, it most likely is going to happen in that first half mile. That's how long it takes me to think about hitting my stride and until that happens I am pretty much miserable. Once I get past it though, in my mind the worse part is over. Running is such a mental sport.
6. Distance/Pace Updates. I use RunKeeper on my phone. Jessica and Samantha use RunMeter. Regardless of what's being used, they both will give you updates on your distance and pace throughout your run. Last year I didn't use the update function while I ran, and I didn't really improve either. Now I listen to my pace so I know when I need to push harder.
5. Half-way points. Fittingly #5 is about being half-way done. Knowing I've finished half the run is almost like a second wind when I'm running. Every stride after that makes you more than half-way finished and one more step closer to being finished.
4. Post-Run Sensation. Even though you're hot, sweaty, and out of breath, that feeling after a run is like a high to me. I almost have this feeling of, "I don't care what you think about my sweaty clothes, I just ran. What did you do?".
3. Saturday Breakfast. Taking that sassy attitude from #4 straight to breakfast with the girls on Saturdays is a highlight of the day. The fresh bread and crazy yummy omelets while sipping coffee out of mismatched mugs is totally worth whatever long run Saturday brings.
2. DJ iPod Shuffle. When a good song hits the shuffle, the outlook on a run can be changed. I admit, I have too many songs in my playlist, and a good many of the songs do not belong on said playlist. So when a super awesome song comes on after a not-so motivating diddy, my mood changes. I am definitely guilty of letting the songs dictate my speed. A few songs that put a little pep in my step: Slow Motion, Thrift Stop, Paper Airplanes, Everybody Get Dangerous, Anything Could Happen, and Rompe.
1. The Company. I honestly wouldn't get through any of the runs if not for the ladies who run with me. Knowing I can look to my side and see one them gives me the motivation to continue and get better. They make me laugh, call me out when I'm being silly, keep me on my toes, share in celebrations, and always motivate me to be not just a better runner, but a better person. They're pretty much awesome...
So, there it is. My list of things that I love when running. What's on your list? A little VD challenge for you to come up with your own. Let's hear it ladies...
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