Getting what you NEED, not what you WANT

Sometimes I think I am just brilliant....(okay, you can stop laughing now).  Seriously, though, there are times when I think I just make the right decision.  It doesn't happen often, but once in a while I actually do the right thing.

Case in point, my long run on Monday.

Now, actually, I was supposed to do my long run on Sunday, but Hubby's little 100-Mile adventure got in the way somehow, not to mention camping left me with a serious sleep deficit that I couldn't have overcome in enough time to fit a run in on Sunday.  So, with Hubby taking Monday off of work to sit around and do nothing all day convalesce, I decided to take advantage and head out for 14 miles of fun.

Where the brilliance comes in is that instead of heading out to the state park to try to run the whole 14 miles like my ego demanded, I decided to do the smart thing and take it slow.  Three things factored into that decision: I was running during the heat of the day and it was hot; I was a day late getting to my long run, which meant less time to recover before my next run; and, lastly, I have a 10K race on Saturday I want to feel somewhat fresh for.

Would a "real runner" have sucked it up and run anyway?  A year or so ago, I would have said yes and then tortured myself with a miserable run that I would then later have bemoaned for having failed.  But, I think I am finally learning to run smarter and take care of my body.  Listening to what my body is telling me is becoming more important than sticking to a training plan 100 percent of the time.  So, that is to say that, for once, I rolled with it.

So, what I ended up doing is a modest run/walk with intervals of three minutes running to one minute walking.  Was it slower?  Heck yes!  It took me just over 2 hours and 40 minutes to finish.  However, I covered the same distance and my legs feel pretty good today.  I didn't feel miserable throughout the whole run - although I could have done without the last three miles.  (With little shade and breeze in that final stretch, the heat finally got to me.) But I did it!

And, since I was going a little slower, I feel I had more time to look around and enjoy the scenery, and once again I was amazed at some of the beautiful areas our little part of the world offers us to run in.

The train that held me up for a couple of minutes finally making its exit....

The path along the river I followed for a bit....

Glimpses of the river....

For some reason, I love pictures of paths. I do seem to take a lot of them.  They remind me of that adage that it is not the destination that is important but the journey we take to get there. 

Happy Running!

Chi Marathon Giveaway - I am a huge fan of Chi Running and have even done two workshops to learn a bit more on how to do it.  Running Diva Mom is giving away a copy of Chi Marathon to one lucky winner.  If you are interested in entering for a chance to win,...head over to her blog!