Don't Ever Quit

I'm not going to say that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, but I didn't jump out of it will all of the energy, enthusiasm, and rested feelings that I'd hoped I would have. I've signed up to run another half marathon in October, and I'm determined to actually run this one. So, I've been following a training schedule suggested by Runner's World (albeit for first-timers) to help get my mileage back up.

This week it feels like my body's been wearing down. I've been demanding a lot of myself physically and also have a lot on my mind. I started my morning a little too late and believing that this wasn't going to be the best or easiest run. For the record, I do not suggest setting yourself up for defeat (or mediocrity, for that matter) before you even start. But I made it out of the door: the first step.

I have also decided that, in the summer, I prefer to run before the sun comes up to cook me. Today, I just couldn't make it out in time. Although 8am seems early, 6am is ideal. My opinion is that no one in their right mind is still running after 8 or 9am on a Texas summer day.

My mission was 6 miles; twice around a 3 mile loop. As I came toward the end of the first loop, and old thought pattern crept up on me: I'm beat! And this is a respectable enough distance... right? I was SO tempted to stop at 3 miles and call it a day. I haven't been feeling well anyway. And if it's not 90 degrees yet, the heat index is already there. For those who don't believe in signs - these are the moments you believe. In the last 100 feet or so, I came up on a man who was wearing a red shirt with the words "Don't Ever Quit" on the back. Now you tell me how I'm supposed to stop half-way through my goal after that. I no longer have an option. What I did instead was tell him that I appreciated his shirt. I pointed toward my car and told him that I am supposed to run 6 miles today and I was seriously considering stopping here, at the end of my first lap, until I read his shirt. We saw each other once more and he smiled and waved with both hands, happy to see me still going, and I smiled and waved back. I might not have been very fast, but I made it through all six of those miles and I can't be disappointed in that.