Remembering the joy of running

I had been stressing out about my 7 mile run for a few reasons. One, because I can't seem to get that competitive thing out of my head. I have such a hard time remembering why I started running in the first place...for the joy, the release, the challenge, the satisfaction.
I spoke to a friend from college whom I haven't spoken to in a while, but he's a runner too. He started a few years ago and has already run many a-races. Speaking with him reminded me of why I wanted to start training for the Utica Boilermaker 15K. Here's the email I sent him, since it really explains my feelings best.

I decided to do my long run today with no expectations...just go out there and enjoy it. I went to the Charles River since they have everything mapped out so I could know how far I was running. I set out to run 7 miles at a 10 minute pace, figuring that would be safe. I really enjoyed my run. First of all, I LOVE running the Charles. You get such an amazing view of the city, there are always people running around you so you feel safe and also motivated....I forgot how much I love running there and now plan to do it every Sunday.
I ended up running the 7 miles in 1:07:27 which was quicker than I expected, and I felt so good afterward--not stressed, no aches or pains, not dying of thirst, hunger, or exhaustion. It was so good to just run and not worry about anything else. And I thought of you because you helped me to remember why I started running in the first place (Well, besides to keep in shape for soccer) Thanks for that :)

I really do love running on the Charles. It reminds me of why we moved to Boston in the first place--for its history and the gorgeous atmosphere. Just another one of my love/hate relationships with his fabulous city.


I snapped this picture f the Prudential Center/Back Bay with my phone while I was stretching.

So, 7 miles in 1:07:27, according to the Runner's World pace calculator broke down into a 9:38 pace...much better than I had anticipated. I'm still going to be sure to spend my Sunday long runs at the "rivah" and not stress out about time. I'm just going to go.

I went to Trader Joe's after my run and bought some fresh dough, fresh mozzarella and TJ brand pizza sauce (damn it was good!) to make a homemade pizza. Dennis really wanted pizza and I'd much rather make it homemade since I know what I'm putting into it. SO good. I had two slices with a nice bowl of salad. Yum.
Man I love Trader Joe's.
I bought some flax seed too, which I've never used before, but I hear it's all the rage. I guess I'll use it in my oatmeal tomorrow morning?

Tomorrow I will attempt to do some yoga. I have a hard time with yoga even though I know how great it is for me. I have a hard time sitting still, clearing my head, and I'm not really that flexible so trying to do some of the moves are hard for me. But Dennis got me a few DVDs for Christmas a few years ago and I realy want to start making it part of my routine again. I'll let you know how that goes...hopefully I don't break anything!