Happiest Run

Let’s talk about how my run on Saturday morning was probably the happiest I have been in a very, very long time. I’ve talked to people who have cried happy tears during races before, and I honestly came close to having my first run-cry, although I held it together. 

I didn’t run for a week.  It was rough. After the Scotland Run last weekend, my body was muy muy unhappy with me.  “Why did you run that fast, up and down hills?” the giant, painful knots in my calves kept asking me with every step.  No joke. My shins were in pain while I was walking and I was having serious flashbacks to my stress fracture, crutches, boot nightmare from earlier this year.  So I (shockingly) tried listening to my body and not pushing it.  Which is something that I’m very bad at. So for 6 days I didn’t run.  I took one spin class, and did 20 minutes on the elliptical, but that was pretty much the extent of my cardio for 6 days.

And then, Friday night was a really emotionally not fun night.

So when I woke up Saturday morning, I wanted a good run.  But the worst thing ever is when you want and need a good run, and you get yourself all excited for an awesome run, and then it ends up kicking your butt and sucking.

Part of me was expecting that.

LUCKILY, I was beyond pleasantly surprised Saturday. The sun was shining. I was wearing shorts and a tank top.  There were tons of people out for the group run.  I’m starting to feel like I fit in with this group.  My legs felt like they were rested (gee Lauren, maybe rest CAN be a good thing) as we ran the now familiar 10-mile Randall’s Island run from the UES Jack Rabbit store.  I felt like I was running so easy, yet I was somehow leading the group the entire time? I seriously felt like I was on Cloud 9. I didn’t listen to music for a second.

And when we got back to the store, I had multiple people come up to me as if I was some legit runner, asking me questions and complimenting me and telling me I looked great out there today.  

What?! 

I honestly didn’t know what to say.  “Wow, you really run.” “You must run a LOT.” “You must have run in high school right?” (HA, that’s a funny joke). “Thanks for leading today” the leader said as I left…I honestly was dumbfounded.  I mean, I kept insisting to everyone that I am NOT by ANY means an incredible runner.  Today I just felt amazing, I had been off for 6 days, usually my entire body hurt…I had every comeback for the compliments (and thank yous as well).  But I’m not going to lie, when I walked home from the store, I was kind of floating.

I still don’t think I’m an amazing runner by any means- but I AM a runner.  Running makes me happy. Running is when I get some of my best thinking done.  A good run can make or break my day.  Running is like therapy for me.  And now, apparently, running is something I’m actually good at, thanks to sticking with it even through the runs that are painful and long and slow.  

And you know what? I would take 2387492 of those not so great runs for every one that was like todays. 

Oh my god, I might cry. I need to stop.

RUN HAPPY PEOPLE.