Sittin' on a Pickle

Since I was lazy yesterday and didn't run, this post digresses from my usual story about some running escapade/accident/achievement (or lack thereof). While I'm home earlier than expected, today was crazy at work and I'm just in one of those moods where a half-marathon seems daunting. I am trying to make myself leave to run around the Berkeley High track by 7:30 (17 minutes!) so I deided to make myself a list of my likes and dislikes about running. Hopefully the more positive list will inspire me to go. Or at least be longer than my anti-exercise tally.

Likes:

- The last few minutes of the run when I'm like "I can totally sprint this in." Will I? Maybe not. But it feels good knowing that I could.
- When my shoe comes untied right when I'm tired. Clutch. I'm not stopping because I want to! My shoe is untied! Would you rather I fall?
- When I realize that the route I just ran used to be a lot more difficult.
- Feeling like I can eat more because I went on a long-ish run.
- Eating more.
- Lapping someone on the track.
- Running by people on the elliptical machines at 24hr and thinking "I'm having more fun!"
- Feeling my muscles ache. Not HURT - but ache.
- The energy boost and endorphin high.
- Bragging about how far I ran on my blog.
- Listening to a song with a beat that seems to match the beat of my feet (wow I am so eloquent)
- Noticing that I am getting better, faster, stronger (to quote Kanye and Daft Punk)

Dislikes:

- The first 3-5 minutes of the run when it is FREEZING cold and I just want to run back inside.
- The last 20 minutes of the run when I'm SWEATY and HOT and wish that it was the first 3-5 minutes of the run.
- Breathing hard when I feel like I shouldn't be.
- An uphill climb that seems to channel the energizer bunny and keep going... and going...
- Tripping and falling and bleeding in front of pedestrians.
- The guilt if I don't run.
- The awkward when-to-eat situation. Running on a full stomach SUCKS. Equally as sucky? Running by houses that are cooking delicious dinners and making my stomach growl.
- When I'm feeling like I could run for days and I hit every red light.
- When I'm feeling like I can't run farther and I hit every green light.
- Uneven sidewalks and curbs. Grrr Berkeley.


Well folks (or should I say folk.. Thanks for reading my blog, Mom!) I am ready to run. 7:28 - time to run laps with the high schoolers. Since there are no red lights to give me a break, I'm tying both shoes VERY loosely.

My cliche of the day is random, but it makes me laugh. I am literally telling this to myself as I procrastinate right now:

Don't just sit there like a bump on a pickle.