Most roads don’t have a lot of pedestrians walking or running on them. My 8k run on Easter Sunday took me through my childhood subdivision. I ran up, down, around the roads I played on and through paths I didn’t dear go as a child but they are now roads. It was fun to run past old friends’ houses or places I spent 90% of my time being a youth.
It was a hard run at first but then got better after I moved on to a trail system, then back into the subdivision again. Moving faster but not feeling fast, I made slight changes to my route that would allow me to finish 8k before Easter dinner 🙂
I did a lap around my parent’s house on the street but was going to come up short, so I had to do another lap and finished the 8k directly in front of their house. Perfect timing.
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Yesterday, I decided to head out for a 6-7k in my subdivision as I had taken the day off as vacation – Best. Idea. Ever! I got a few things done in the morning and planned to hit the pavement around 2pm.
At 2:08 I managed to start my Green Garmin and took my normal route. A road that is traveled heavily by cars and bikes and a good handful of walkers. I weaved up one hill, down another and back up the last hill before it was flat for a while. Back into my subdivision I went…around this street, down that one, only to turn around and go back the same way I came from. I then did a little lap near my house and finished the 6k.
It was the worst 6 km I’ve run in a long time. It was like my body wasn’t wanting to move forward, something was really holding me back. All I knew is that I was glad it was over and done with …. for today 😉
I was watching out for these guys on my run………….just kidding. You don’t ever want to come across a bunch of bear’s like this unless you are in an armoured vehicle!
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I had a few thoughts while out running (sans musique):
1.36 km – I’m going to have coconut yogurt and strawberries as a post run snack.
2 km – I’m never going to make it to 6 – 7km.
2.46 km – I hate long hills.
2.56 km – This long hill is going to help me with the bridge at the Bluenose Marathon. Then I will be thankful but I am not right now.
3 km – Okay, I can do this. Must remember location of 3k mark if I am to run this route again.
4.05 km – Oh my God, I just need to get to 5 k. Maybe 6 if I’m lucky.
5.01 km – Screw this, I’m walking for a few minutes (really, a few seconds). I might as well start running again as I have to get back to my house somehow and running would make this end faster.
5.45 km – {husband drives by and whistles at me} A smile slowly forms on my face and I laugh. Oh that laugh felt good because nothing else felt good during the last 1/2 hour.
6 km – Done. 35 minutes. Stop watch. And walk.
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Who looks at their watch that often? Apparently, I do! I looked a lot and those times and thoughts really stood out for me. I ran throughout my subdivision yesterday and though it was a BIG challenge for me to just complete, it was just what I needed. {I wouldn’t have said that during the run but I can now}
What do you do on a terrible run: stick with it or pack it in?
How often do you look at your watch/running app?
Now that it’s spring, are there more people out walking and running where you live?
Piper's Run 
I have seen more people out running lately-that makes me sooo happy 🙂 And I’m guilty of looking at my watch a lot- but it works positively for me. Encourages me to speed up usually!
I usually stick out a terrible run- though a couple times ive walked a lot during them…we all have those days!
I love seeing everyone outside now…it’s great!
I was considering a run today and this post just convinced me to do it, even when a run sucks you never regret it at the end. There are always people walking and running around where I live, now that it’s warmer it’s even busier but I absolutely love it!
Well I am glad my post convinced you to go! There are very few, if any runs I regret!
I have definitely had runs like this. It’s ok because they aren’t all like that. I recently told a boy that I am training for a half marathon that he needs to learn to never judge a single mile of your run. One can be hard, the next can be great, and so on. I bet your next run will be a breeze. I too love running in my childhood neighborhood 🙂
Good call “never judge a single mile of your run”….I’m going to remember that one 🙂 I went for an 8k today – it was better then yesterday.
Sometimes I look at my watch every few minutes it seems and others I hardly glance at it. I love your pic of the bears. Actually, I never thought about bears even in N.S. I never saw one when I was there at all.
We do have some pretty friend bears in a few communities….they are getting more adventurous looking for food and coming into developed areas now…kinda scary too! Hope all is great on the West Coast!
Until recently I was a serial watch watcher. I have found that my runs go SO much better when I don’t bother myself with it! I love running through my old neighborhood (I actually did this over the weekend) and seeing how the houses I knew when I was younger have changed!
I find if my run is good I rarely look at my watch and if it’s bad I’m always looking at it. It’s fun to see what has changed in your old neighbourhood 🙂 And congrats again on Dopey!!
If I run without my iPod I look at my watch too often, if I’m listening to music I only check it a couple times. Some of my best timed runs are the ones I least wanted to leave the house.
Those are the best runs!!
I like that bear photo. It kind of looks like that up where I live and they’ll be waking up soon! When I have one of those terrible runs I swear I’m checking my watch every 25 seconds. I tend to just push through as I know I will feel worse if I quit.
I tend to push through the tough runs and know that it will end at some point.
Bad runs make the good runs better. Keep your chin up, you know that another day those same hills will feel effortless with a nice turnover. When I’m in the middle of a bad run I try to focus on my form. Usually it feels uncomfortable because I’m not leaning properly or heel striking or something has gone wrong that I can totally control.
Next weekend we’re heading to my parents house for a wedding so I get to run the old subdivision roads again. Can’t wait!
I went for a run this afternoon and managed to run up the entire hill for the first time. It’s long and steep but I was pumped I made it up!
Have fun at the wedding and running the old roads!!!
Love your timeline! The smile at the end made me smile. Those bears would be scary to run into!
Bad runs happen and suck. Then you forget about them and move on to awesome runs! I think they make you really appreciate those runner’s high-type runs. And they are good for mental training – pushing through when your brain really, really wants to stop.
Most of the time I don’t look at my watch but just wait for the mile beeps so that I know how far I’ve gone.
Haha at least you ran!! I try not to look at my watch frequently because it makes it harder- but I have those horrible runs where I’m glued to the screen, counting down the miles. I don’t think I ever throw in the towel during a bad run. I just figure (as long as I’m not injured) a super slow and crappy run is better than no run.
I try to stick out the terrible runs and at least get my miles in, no matter how ugly it can get. I figure even if I do not benefit physically from it, mentally I will be myself up if I at least can’t finish what I have planned.
I look at my watch more than I probably should. I think I do this and then hold back so I do not exhaust myself too early.
Wow, it was a ‘bad’ run and you still did it in a good time, way to go! Sounds fun running in your old neighborhood!
The bear picture was what I was waiting for around every corner of my run last night… never been that far into those woods on foot before (dirt road between here and windsor… not a soul in sight but I’ve seen bear tracks). I was getting nervous!
Love your blog – I just nominated you for the Leibster Award on my blog!
http://runningcanadiangirl.blogspot.ca/2014/04/liebster-award.html
Thanks Kris!
PS – I love your blog too!
Way to get through it!!! Some runs are just no as good, but I think it’s important to push through them. I try to never look at my watch (except to see how far I’ve gone occasionally). It can mess with your head, so that’s why I try to avoid it. Watch out for bears!!!!!!
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