I was feeling quite overwhelmed, tired, frustrated (like I said earlier) and down-right discouraged. I decided that I was going to change my workout a little and switch Wednesday with Thursday. Today I'm doing the Tempo run and yesterday I ran up the mountain.
Close to BYU is located a Y. A huge letter Y that's made of large rocks, cement and white paint. It's not the steepest thing you'll ever encounter, but it does the trick if you're looking for something really hard to run up. It had been a while since the last time I ran it and it just felt right. I thought, "There's nothing that can help me feel good. I don't know what's wrong, but I am mad!" So I started up and up and up. It was hot and the switchbacks seemed to go on without end. There were a few times I thought about stopping to rest, but I told myself to take smaller steps and just make it to the top of the next switchback. That's what I told myself each time.
When I arrived at the top I was so thirsty. There was a family up there and I asked if they had any water to spare. They did and I was extremely grateful. Then the mom gave me some Gushers which I was a little skeptical about because I'm all about healthy eating and anti-processed anything especially sugar, but I took them and ate them. It was wonderful.
All of that really helped to clear my mind. I was able to smash frustration with a mountain. We all get down, depressed, discouraged etc. and I am here to tell you that when that happens it is the start of self-defeating behavior. Stop it in its tracks! Find a mountain and smash it! Your mountain may be a musical instrument, it may be meditation or reading--It doesn't necessarily have to be intense. Sometimes we need to change plans and do something that will help calm us down and focus on what is most important. That is how I run fearless.
(Returning and reporting yesterday's workout: 30 minute a.m. run; 60 minute mountain run with cool-down)
fearless
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