Run according to conditions

On the coldest day this year so far, I announced to my incredulous husband, “I’m off for a run.” “Outside?” he asked. “Yes, outside.”

I’m not one of those annoying runners who, like the postal service, operate in any weather. In fact, 3 years ago, it would’ve taken a fire to get this potato off the couch. But like many things in life, running is about developing muscles and controlling what you can. So I developed my legs, my core, my lungs and learned to control my brain, to overcome the voice that would tell me more than I care to admit that it was easier to sit down, to stay inside.

When you run, you control your body, but you can’t control the conditions. So if it’s cold, you dress for it. When it’s dark, you wear reflective clothing and turn down the Ipod. On hot summer days, you run early in the morning, and you hydrate. In this regard, running is a lot like dealing with change. You can’t control the conditions, especially if change is being imposed upon you. But you can control your response. Will you get caught up in the natural negativity that always seems to spring from the mere whiff of change, or will you adjust for conditions, ride the wave and reserve judgement until you know what you’re facing? You have to decide.

But back to my run. I planned to do 7k. At 2k, my Ipod ran out of juice. I had a moment of “…I can’t run without my music…” but I quickly recovered. At 3k, it started to snow, so I slowed down. I didn’t know it could snow at -12C degrees. At 4.5k, the snow became a white out. I’m resilient, but I’m not stupid. So I ran home. Sometimes being in control of your responses also means knowing when to stop.

Mel