Keep Moving Forward...

So I took a week off of running this past week.  I didn’t want to.  I never WANT to anymore.  But sometimes life happens, like this week.  Well, not life entirely.  Also heat, humidity, and sleep deprivation.  As I move along on this journey into the world of running, every week and every run teaches me something new.  Last week, I learned about running while you are sick (don’t do it).  This week, I learned about running in the heat (don’t do it) and more importantly, sometimes, it’s okay to not run.  I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself over the last year with regards to running, and I have made it a point to religiously run at least 5 days a week, minimum of 2.5 miles per run.  Lately, I’ve been disappointed if any run is less than 5 miles.  As runners, especially new runners, I think we all put a lot of pressure on ourselves.  It’s bad enough if you’re just trying to get into shape, but if you add weight loss into the mix, then it becomes an unhealthy obsession.  I’ve fallen into that trap.  Any day I don’t run 5 miles is a bad day.  So you can imagine what a terrible week I’ve had when finally, due to long work days, family obligations, zero sleep and 90+ degree weather, I just didn’t have it in me to get up and go.  Don’t get me wrong, I could have made time to get up and go 2 miles, but if I couldn’t go 5, I didn’t want to go 1.  Which is silly, really, when you break it down.  Because at the end of the day, and running is better than no running.  Having realized the folly of my thinking, today I have made myself the pledge that I will squeeze in what I can when I can, and it will be okay if I don’t run a half marathon every time I lace up my shoes.  I have also realized that summertime running is not the same as springtime, autumn or winter running.  The time of year, I am finding, greatly affects my performance.  The fact of the matter is, 92 degrees and 70 percent humidity is stifling.   I am very fortunate to live in Florida, where 3 quarters of the year are conducive to great running weather.  I have, however, unfortunately entered that 4^th quarter wherein it is almost impossible to grab a run of any decent length at a reasonable hour.  Our winters are mild, sometime lows dipping below 20, but highs always in the mid 40’s at the lowest.  Fall and spring are phenomenal.  But summer?  Summer is an oppressive beast, pressing on your chest when you try to breath and beating on your skin as you fight to pad out mile after mile.   It’s hot, it’s miserable, and frankly, it isn’t even fun.  So to combat it?  Just get up and move.  Just a little bit.   If you can do one mile, than do one mile.  If you can do two miles, do two.  Just move.  Push through the hard summer months, but be careful, and don’t go too hard.  Just keep yourself moving.  I learned this week that it’s more important to run a little bit than a lot, and that every run doesn’t have to be a long one.  I learned that you should do what your body is telling you it CAN do, not what your mind tells you it wants to do.  Don’t get frustrated when you can’t go as far as you want or as fast as you wish.  Just keep moving.  In the end, running is a lot like life in general.  We can’t do everything we want, and we can’t always go as far or as fast as we think we should, and sometimes, it’s not our fault.  But we do need to keep moving.