Running Ohm: Surrender

Life has been quite busy and my time to type has been limited. Hope all is well in your world.

So Tuesday, I tried going to the gym. I was running a little behind but nothing major, I would still have an hour to run. But then there was a detour, a left hand turn, bad driving conditions, a patch of ice hidden under unplowed streets, and an inconveniently placed Jeep. New used car is now getting babied at the mechanics. So no run Tuesday.

Wednesday, we focused on surrender in yoga. Surrendering to the pose. Surrendering to the discomfort of some of the stretches or tightness of fabric. Sinking into the fabric and accepting the effects of gravity in each pose. In a way, it was surrendering to life and all it entails. Some parts of life are not particularly wonderful and some are unbelievably wonderful. Accepting it all as molding who we are now and our futures. In yoga, I like exploring the mind and body connection. I think, aerial yoga emphasizes that even more because of we see the action and reaction of our poses, like when we push off the ground and “fly.” We see it in when we don’t quite get a pose but something wonderful comes out of our mistakes. And then there are the days that the fabric is just uncooperative for whatever reason. And you can fight it but you really just need to slow down and move with intention. I have to say after class I felt a bit more at peace in my mind. I hope my students felt the same way.

Thursday and Friday, I essentially slept. I slept in, went to work, ate dinner, and then fell asleep. I still feel tired but not nearly as bad as those days.

Then, it was Saturday. Race day. Another 8k, this time to support research to cure heart disease. I argued with myself about even showing up. There is this heavy blanket of exhaustion that is laying over me. It was 1F with a bit of a wind. It seemed like a super crazy thing to do. Yet, I still put on layers of leggings. The top half is always more problematic for me. I don’t mind warm or cold legs, but I don’t like being hot on top. I decided to go with the race tech shirt and jacket. I thought about the shoes too. I could use my trail shoes or my Brooks. Since the run was on the road, I went with the Brooks. Wool socks, buffs, headbands, gloves, and Spibelt came along as well.

The race was close to my house and had ample parking at a nearby college with a shuttle for the runners. There was coffee waiting for the runners, a silent auction and other items for sale to raise money for the cause. I didn’t see anyone I knew. There were lots of groups of people and not very many of us singletons. While I was waiting, my jacket drew people to me. It was the sponsoring running clubs anniversary jacket. It was warm and breathable with great pocket and zipper designs. This gave me a chance to talk to people and compare race plans and goals. I got a lot of congratulations for this being my third race and choosing this particular race.

The start was late and it was very cold. I hung near the back between the 8k runners and the 2 mile walkers determined the change from running tights to denim. About the time we started moving, I realized I forgot my phone back in the car. No splits for me. I did start my vivosmart. The people I had been talking to started at a faster pace than I. It took a while to get warm and start sweating. I used the buff over my face for about a mile and half. My hands grew warm and my gloves got tucked away around mile three. About mile 4, I truly considered taking off my jacket, I was so warm.

My brain was whiny. I was not floating with things. The out and backs down the same roads sorta made me feel like I was getting nowhere and that the turnabout cones were placed generously too far apart. I was hearing in my head to stop and walk, or go back to the start and wait for the shuttle. Each step was heavy but I am a stubborn person and willed my feet to keep moving forward. Those first three miles were rough. There was some chatting with others while paces matched. I had been passing people. I knew I was still on the back end of the racing group but I was improving my standing. And around mile four, I found some peace with the race and course. It was rolling and passed thru some very nice scenery. I was still willing myself forward. My stomach started to revolt a bit as turned in for the last half mile. But I kept telling myself that I just needed to put one foot in front of the other and breathe in and breathe out. It wasn’t really complicated. It was natural and I was capable.

Turning in to the last half mile with cheers from well bundled volunteers, I saw the hill. The race route was a big loop. It started downhill. I took a deep breath and dug deep. My legs moved on their own, sure and strong on the incline as others fell back into a walk. I passed people I had been chasing for most of the race. My final sprint wasn’t that much faster than the pace I had already been going. I was running on fumes. Volunteers cheered us up the hill. Focusing on the Finish sign, I surrendered to the discomfort and came in with a 53:37 time. A personal best (PB).

I paced around near the finish line, waiting for my gut to settle down. Bananas and chili and more coffee waiting for us back at the building but food was the last thing on my mind. Not barfing was key. Eventually, the nausea passed and I climbed back onto the shuttle knowing I ran a great race. My race selfie is me in the car. It would have been nice to get pictures of the race. Despite the late start, it was a well organized race.

Again yoga and running ran parallel. I had to surrender to the asanas and to the course. Discomfort happens with both and it is temporary. Accepting it and continuing to move forward can lead to some pretty rewarding experiences.

Here is a video of a guy who ran the race. You can catch a glimpse of me on the bus.