The last quarter of a mile was a long, steep, hill of death, or an HOD as we like to call it. Norm made me sprint up that beast, acting like we hadn't just run 5 miles. Up until that point, the run was a breeze. It wasn't until I was coughing my lungs out onto the pavement after that hill that I realized just how far and how long we had actually run.But since that run, I've gained a new vigor and zeal for running. Each day, I can't wait for the next day's run and training. After completing those 5 miles on Saturday, I feel like I can run any distance. And now, I really am a firm believer of running outdoors.
When I ran 6 and 7 miles a few weeks ago, I did it on the treadmill and I almost died trying to finish the distance. Mostly, I just got bored. There was no way I wanted to sit on that stupid treadmill for another minute. But last night, I ran outside around my mom's neighborhood and after running for about an hour, I wasn't ready to stop. If the sun hadn't set, I probably would have kept pushing for another hour.
Running outdoors is way more fun and more conducive to pushing yourself. On a treadmill, if I get bored or tired, I can just stop, jump back in my car and drive home. If I'm outdoors running, I have no way of getting home unless I run the rest of the way back. Plus, I hate the meat-market aspect of running at the gym. While treadmills are a great alternative for when blizzards and rain force you indoors, I don't want to have to watch all the college kids hooking up at the weight machines adjacent to the cardio equipment. Isn't that what bars are for? Go spit your game somewhere else. I'm trying to get my swell on.
Regardless, I pounded out 5 fun miles on Saturday and I welcome the next 21.2!
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