Day 32 — Everybody needs a support system

Day: 32
Miles: 5
Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, 46 seconds
Feeling: Like planning.

Not going to detail my workout today. I ran 5 uncomfortable miles that I’m still feeling in my shins and lower back. I figure things will get better tomorrow.

Yesterday, as I moped around the newsroom after my workout, I ran into Kris. He’s a friend of mine who’s been running — I think he said — for like 35 years or something else equally ridiculous. Anyway, I wanted to point him out because he talked me down when I was really feeling horrible. Our conversation went something like this:

Kris: How was your workout?
Me: I failed.
Kris: There’s no failing in running. How far did you run?
Me: Two miles.
Kris: So just run further tomorrow.

We talked about a ton of other stuff, with running and motivation and things to help me with my running. He also gave me some places I can run outside to keep things interesting. (But I forgot how he told me to get there.) So that was helpful.

Today, I stopped in to see Carol on my way to change for my run. It was getting dark and I had plans to run outside, but I was waffling. I meant to just say hello, but she invited me to sit. And I mean, I did what anyone else looking forward to a long run on the treadmill would have done. I sat.

She reads the blog. (Hi, Carol!) I told her it was hard because I don’t eat properly. She told me to plan better and eat more. I told her my iron was low (I’m borderline anemic, have been for a while). She gave me chocolate. We talked about my story. She showed me her dogs’ puppies. It was great actually. And pretty funny. Then she kicked me out of her office to go run. So I did. (Aside, a post of some of the things I need to do in order to finish this race — like eat — is coming soon.)

So why’d I tell you all of this? Because there are all these people out there — you are likely one of them — who will sit, listen to me complain and then encourage me to keep going.

To those people, whether you’re writing on Facebook, commenting on this blog, cheering me on at work, asking for updates on gchat or saying “looking good” as we pass each other on the training route — thank you. (And to all of you out there lurking, join the conversation — I don’t bite!)

It does mean something.

Actually, it means a lot. And I appreciate you for it.