Tag Archives: tired

Get it?  Like “Oh, the humanity!”  I thought of it while I was at work today, thinking I did NOT want to run, and I felt sure I had used the title before.  However, a quick check of my posts tells me I did not, so here is a Tuesday Running Commentary, and yes, it is also Tired Tuesday.  You see, that I can so multi-task.

As I left work, I felt greeted by the wind.  This was much better than in the building!  Unfortunately, I soon realized that it was not the miracle I was hoping for.  It was hot, it was muggy, I wanted to go someplace air conditioned and cry.  Of course I did nothing of the kind. I went home and put on running clothes.  Changing was not fun, but I will spare you the blow by blow (see? I don’t always overshare).

I told Steven I did not know how far I would run.  You never know:  sometimes you catch a second wind as you go.  Also, if it began to rain, that might feel really good and I would be happy to keep running.  Conversely, it there was thunder, I would sensibly run right back home.  At least I would get a few steps in.

Right away my body was not happy with me.  My legs hurt.  My lungs did not want to breath.  I was sweating already.  Well, runs often begin badly and end well.  Second wind, remember?  Then I thought, here’s a point to ponder: does it count as a second wind if you didn’t have a first wind?  Shouldn’t I start out feeling good, get tired, THEN get a second wind?  I never do anything right.

I did it really wrong this time, because I never felt good, never hit the “I can rock this” stage, and my legs complained pretty much the whole way. I debated to myself how far I would run.  At least 20 minutes.  Of course 30 would be better.  I could turn here. Or wait till the next street.  Or go all the way to the high school!  I was drenched with sweat and sweating sunscreen into my eyes. Ouch!  No matter.  A cold shower awaited.  And my recovery beverage of chocolate milk.  One must earn a recovery beverage, I reminded myself.

I did have one encouraging moment:  I was headed down Park Avenue (ooh!), towards the footbridge over the brook behind the high school.  A man and two women with a couple of baby carriages were headed that way by a parallel street, arriving at the bridge about the same time I did.  The man noticed me.

“She’s coming straight through,” he said to the women.  They stopped.

“Oh, I’m sorry!  I didn’t see you!”  one said.

“You’re fine,” I said.  “Thank you.”

“Keep going!” the man said.

“I’ll try!”

“Good job!” I heard one of the women call as I ran over the bridge.

Well, one must keep going when one has received encouragement.  So keep running I did.  I made it for 23 minutes.  I felt dreadfully tired during my cool-down walk and even considered cutting that part short.  Then I thought, no, I have calories to burn.  As always, I felt happy that I had run.  I was sorry it was such a short run, but you can’t get bogged down in these details.  I ran.  That was the important thing.  Maybe I will run again tomorrow.