It's hard to believe that we have 3 runs left in our clinic and that the Bluenose is a mere 1 week away. The past 2 weeks have been the hardest yet, as we transitioned up to 10 minutes of running, 1 minute walking. To add fuel to the fire I decided to start a 1 week detox/cleanse that meant no caffeine, sugar, salt, meat, chicken, processed food, wheat or dairy. To be fair it sounded reasonable at the time - all fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, fish, natural yogurt, etc. As a newbie runner I had NO idea the impact this would have on my running. Although I was able to eat plain oatmeal, rice cakes, etc. there simply wasn't enough fuel to keep me going and my running suffered. I had a pounding caffeine withdrawal headache that lasted 3 full days :-( On top of this I had some cold/flu like symptoms that continue to plague me (a perfect storm, if you will).
Needless to say I barely made it through my runs and was really, really winded. This was the lowest point of my running thus far, especially after my earlier successes. I really felt down and was struggling to recapture the enthusiasm and joy felt earlier. My running group and the instructors helped me through this - constantly encouraging me and dropping back to run beside me. This really made a difference and meant a great deal to me. I started to feel stronger and hope to have a great final week.
The upside? The headache went away and I have not gone back to coffee, I'm sleeping better and am heartburn free! But most of all I learned that not every run is going to be good. Sometimes the last thing in the world I want to do is run. Sometimes I am well rested, well nourished and am pain free. Sometimes this means I will run well and sometimes it means I won't. However, I know that if I persevere the good runs will return, as will my energy and enthusiasm.
Oh and I celebrated my birthday on the weekend and am no longer "Learning to Run at 45" :-D
Gotta go. I'm Running Late...Literally!
