“Be careful. There’s a gym right around the corner.”

Each week by Thursday, I’m usually exhausted and looking forward to the rest day schedule on Fridays. Today is no exception.

As I started my run this morning, one of my first thought was, “I sure am glad I don’t have to do this tomorrow. I’m tired!” and as I tried to find a groove, my second thought was, “Ugh, I don’t want to do this. Running sucks. Maybe I should cut this run short.”

The first few minutes of short 3-milers and long, slow 19-milers have begun the same way and this 9-miler was no exception, with me analyzing the route I planned to run and trying to figure out ways to cut it short. Yet, I rarely follow through on the adjusted plans.

As I settled in to my pace, feeling every bit as tired as I did moments ago when running “sucked” I had to wonder if thinking out ways to cut a run short, adding up known distances and figuring out how I need to adjust my plans– if I take this path and jump off on to that street its 2 miles and then I’m only 1.5 miles from home if I stay on this road so that would make this a 3.5-miler – is really just my mind’s way of distracting itself. I never follow through with my, sometimes, elaborate escape routes, meaning I almost always cover the distance I had scheduled and yet I still tend to run through scenarios as I am warming up.

Often, I am thinking up ways to cut a run short until I find something else to distract me. This morning it was a women who called out as I passed, “Be careful. There’s a gym right around that corner.” I half nodded to her and sort of smiled but more or less kept going before her words hit me – “Be careful. There’s a gym right around that corner.”

What? What could that possibly mean? Why do I have to be careful around a gym? Granted, it is a boxing gym (not a “gym” gym) and I guess there are more overly-testeroned men who frequent that gym. I just never thought to be concerned about something like that. Is that woman crazy? Is she right? Have I been carelessly running past this gym at least once a week, without a concern in the world, never realize the immanent danger I was in? What would I do if a crazed boxer started chasing me? I’d run as fast as I could to that 24 hour CVS or that restaurant that always has cleaning crews inside when I run by in the morning. I’d start screaming. Yeah, yeah. Shouting is good. Really loud…

And just like that, I forgot all about planning evasive maneuvers to get around doing 9 miles this morning.

For the rest of the run my mind continued to wonder. I planned more ways to get away from the zombie boxers that were after me (yes, they eventually turned in to zombies that were chasing me) and moved on to what I planned for the coming weekends, the race on Sunday and meeting up with Kate on Saturday, what I needed to get done at work today, and various other bits and bobs that popped in to head. Before I knew it, I finished the run, even more exhausted than when I started but proud that I had completed the 9 miles and I realized two things,
1. Silly girl! Of course you finished the run. You always finish the run.
2. I’m still glad tomorrow is a rest day.
Ok, three things,
3. I still don’t know what that is supposed to mean, “Be careful. There’s a gym right around the corner”?! Lady, do you live in fear of gyms during the early morning hour? Is there something I don’t know? Regardless, good lookin’ out. You never can be too careful! Thanks!

Today’s daily dozen:
9 mile morning run
XT, 30 minutes on recumbent bike at a leisurely pace @ lunch hour