After a successful (and fast, might I add) Elvis is Alive 5k, it was time to sit on the grass, drink a 312, listen to an Elvis tribute band and mutter repeatedly “How gorgeous is it out tonight?” because it really, really was.
High five to Fleet Feet Sports for putting on another great race- these people know how it’s done and the Elvis is Alive 5k is one for the books.
I signed up to run Fleet Feet’s Women’s 10k this morning.
I ended up running a 5k.
It was 80 degrees at the 7:30am start. I was sore from bootcamp yesterday. By mile 2, I started to overheat and could feel my arms getting cold. Even though 6 miles is something I could have done on any other day with no problem, I knew today was not the day to push it, not with this kind of heat index.
So, I listened to my body and veered to the left with the 5k runners when the course split.
I schlumped to the bus feeling pretty defeated. In my head, I rattled off the reasons why listening to my body is important but there was still a lingering feeling that I “should” have been able to push myself, I “should” have run what I signed up for no matter what.
I have spent the rest of the day with a massive headache, drinking tons of water, sleeping and generally feeling like crap. Thank goodness I didn’t listen to those “shoulds”, aka my ego. Thank goodness I recognized my limits today. Being active and being an athlete and pushing ourselves to greatness is amazing but there is a limit to be recognized on any given day otherwise the cost could be health or safety.
Sure, there will be other days where I will push myself when I’ve hit a wall, be it 6 miles or 26 miles. But today my lesson in limits, in my limits, hammered home that listening to your gut can really keep you safe.
While picking up our Solider Field 10-Miler race packets at Fleet Feet, I spotted this sign. While I don’t entirely with this statement (color always plays a decent part in my running shoe selection process), if I was planning on buying shoes today strictly based on how obnoxiously awesome they were colored, I totally would have bought these:
A bit nervous for tomorrow (I haven’t been running anywhere near 10 miles recently) but getting my first race of the season under my belt and finishing on the 50-yard line of Soldier Field is going to be all sorts of awesome. Ready to rock!