Imaginary Competition

Sorry I've been in a weird funk and haven't been blogging as much, but on my run yesterday, I thought of blogging and missed it.

I usually like running solo because it gives me the flexibility to run when I want (like at 3:42 in the afternoon or some odd time like that), and it gives me the flexibility to go as fast or slow as I feel like (which I know isn't proper training etiquette, but I'm in it for fun of it, not to win the Olympics - or as I keep justifying to myself). With my running with partners, we 'enable' each other instead of compete. hehehe

On my usual route, there's a pretty big hill 3 miles before my house (the end destination). Normally, I try to run part of it and walk the peak cus its pretty steep. Yesterday, when I was making the turn to start up the hill, I had already planned that I was gonna walk the hill. THEN, I saw "Girl with Sunglasses" on the opposite side of the road. Now, when you live in the same neighborhood and run the same routes, you notice the same people, and we've crossed paths and smiled and waved before. I could tell by her pace, she was not gonna walk the hill. So I ran up the hill. I was a little ahead of her so I couldn't see if she ran it either, but I could 'hear' footsteps behind me. I couldn't really turn to look back, all I could do was push forward. When I finally climbed up the peak, I wanted to rest, but I heard those footsteps closing in.. So I ran..

I kept running until I was about a mile from my house and there was a bend in the road which allowed me to peek behind me, and there she was, "Girl with Sunglasses"!
I'm glad I kept running cus I didn't want her to pass me. I really don't think she had any idea the "race" I had going on. But I felt so good when I got home, my pace was awesome, my breathing was awesome, my time was awesome, and I didn't let "Girl with Sunglasses" beat me. haha!

When you're stuck in a routine rut, pick a person to "race" with. It'll make your run a lot more "fun"

Happy Competing!