Wednesday, March 27, 2013

When your head needs a cleaning...

I am not one to really feel like I need to get my head cleaned out after a long day. However, on Monday that was exactly what I needed to do. While the day was good one, it was also busy and had some unexpected twists and turns in which I really did not want to have to do deal with. (For those of you that do not know what I do, I am a substance abuse counselor working with men and women who are incarcerated but living in the community.) I love my job and the people that I work with. I do not love the "surprises" that come along the way. Not to mention that I work for an agency who is contracted by Dept of Corrections so basically I have two employers and sometimes that is overwhelming in itself.

So Monday was one of those days that I needed to get out of my head. How do I do that...I run of course! I got home early evening, donned my running shoes and out the door I went. As I ran down the road, (I live in New Hampshire. We still have snow so the trails were not in my cards.), I felt like I needed something new, something fresh. So I headed to Vermont.

Now before you freak out...don't worry! Vermont is only about a mile from my house. The difference is this-I have never ran over the river to get to Vermont before...EVER. I have lived in my house for 8 years and I have never ran across that bridge. What an amazing and freeing run it was!

I bounded across the big green bridge that spans the Connecticut River between NH and VT and was elated to be going someplace new. Even though I only ran about 2 miles over into VT onto a side street that followed the Wells River and then back to NH...it was still new. The sights were new, even the smells were new!

By the time I made it back home my mind felt healed. I felt renewed and fresh and happy! I should run over to Vermont more often! But I don't want it to become "normal". So for now I think I will keep it as a hidden gem across the river.

My run yesterday was not so liberating. My training plan said 6 miles at a 11:34 pace. WHAT!?!?! 11:34?? I don't think I could run that slow at all. So I chose to run a little faster. My route however, is not one I should have taken yesterday. I decided to head up Mt. Gardner Road which is exactly as it sounds. The road goes UP Mt. Gardner. At the top of the "hill" I was spent. I turned around, grumbling, and headed home. Instead of getting my 6 miles I got 4.11.

As my friends say...at least I did SOMETHING. But I am still pretty angry at myself for not pushing through and getting my 6 miles.

Today is for rest...and tomorrow I will conquer that dreaded hill and get my mileage in. For now I need to remember that some days will be good and others will be bad. I need to embrace them BOTH!

Run Free Ya'll!!

2 comments:

  1. Ugh, sorry to hear of your shortened run. Those really do suck. I've had a number of sluggish runs lately, so I feel ya.

    How cool for you that you can run to VT! I make it through several towns when I'm running long, but haven't made it out of MA...yet....:)

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  2. I guess I am lucky that VT is just across the street or there abouts. Seems like a lot of people are having some hard runs lately. Hopefully the warmer weather will shake us all out a bit!

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