Yep, on Saturday night I accidentally ran 12K, I truly didn't mean to, I was only meaning to run 10K but you know how when you are darn sure you have the directions in your head and then you get to an intersection you think...nah I'll just go this way, it'll be fine....well that's what I did and then I ended up running longer/farther but I found out something interesting.
Let me back track a bit, I've said to myself for years that I wanted to do a mini-triathlon. But after Ciera came along reality set in and while I could easily do the running and bike training, the swimming would be an issue as I can't drag her along with me! So at the beginning of this year, with a milestone birthday heading my way this year, I though ok I have to do something BIG for this birthday. Now I've always been a runner, since high school, I love it! It clears my head, gives me more energy, keeps me in shape and I truly do some of my best thinking while running, I won't run with an ipod as I like the solitude. So I thought ok, I will challenge myself to run a 1/2 marathon in September and chose the Scotiabank Waterfront one as it's known to be reasonably flat and easy (well as easy as running a 1/2 marathon could be I guess!).
Bearing in mind that initially I thought I'd be travelling to Kaz this past spring I thought training this summer would be a breeze as I'd be off and with Ciera at daycare for most of the day, the baby and I would head off for our training runs. I'd run and the baby would be jostled off to sleep by the gentle movement of the jogging stroller.....ah the best laid plans. Instead I am running at lunch when I can and in the evenings and on weekends I am pushing Ciera's 30 pounds in the jogger, and my solitude is no longer as I hear what has to be about a million questions! (starting this weekend I have a sitter who will hang with Ciera while I run, it's better for all of us!!)
So back to this past Saturday, I leave the house with my route in my head (I'd google mapped it out, and it was simple) and with Ciera (under protest) in the jogger to do my 10K. The training guide suggests doing 10/1's, meaning run 10 minutes, walk (fast) for a minute, run 10 minutes and so on, so that's what I started out doing. So I get about 1/2 an hour into it and I'm feeling pretty good except for the dull ache in my shoulder from trying to keep the stroller going straight (I think it needs a wheel alignment!) and I get to an intersection and one part of my brain says "you need to do something here" the other part says "no keep going you can take the next one, why go down here to meet up with that street when you can just meet up with it further down", the first part says "ooookaaayy that seems to make sense" so I keep going and going and thinking "damn this seems really far out now" and I get to the next intersection (I was running in the "country" so there are not alot of cross roads) and I said out loud "oh Diane you idiot, the street you wanted does not come this far north, that's why you were supposed to turn back there and now you are too far East"...sigh.....ok I think to myself "I can do this" so by now I've moved to 5/1's and as I finally edge closer to home I was at 1/1's and then as soon as I was within 1k of home I picked up my pace and ran the rest of the way home thinking "oh geez how far was that? I'm going to be lucky if I can move tomorrow".
While I was running I was thinking "hmm that had to be close to 15K, but if it was then I know I can do the 1/2 for sure, may not be the greatest time but I know now I can do it". I was almost disappointed later when I measured it and it was 12K, but still I now know I can do the 1/2 and from here on in my time will only get better (I hope!). Sunday morning I woke up and thought "am I going to be able to get out of bed?" and to my great surprise and much joy I was able to and didn't feel bad, just a vague tiredness that wore off as the day went on.
So in thinking about it while I was running I thought.....wow this is kind of like my adoption journey......I had it all planned out (mapped as it were) ....then it came to an intersection and my file went on a longer journey than expected, and it finally heads back but it's soooooo sllloooooooowwwwww and I know when it happens it will happen fast and it will all seem to fly by and I will rush to an end that is finally in sight. An end that I know will happen and I know it will all work out, and the timing will have been perfect and hopefully it will also happen without any aches and pains
My lesson learned is: always try to have a well planned and thought out map/directions to your destination but if you happen to take an unexpected detour, take it in stride, figure out a new route and enjoy the journey...it makes the arrival at your destination so much sweeter and you'll be so very happy to finally be there!!!
So there you have it, see I really do have great clear thoughts while I am running, it helps to pass the time....but for next weekends long run I am not going to improvise on my route or take my daughter!!!
