Suess's Pieces

Sunday “Run” August 14

Total Time: 1:31:00
Total Distance: 5 miles
Calories Burned: 684
Days Until Briggs & Al’s 8k: 32

Oh my god I am so sore today!

I haven’t been writing about my upcoming 8k much, mostly because I wanted to see if ignoring it would make it go away. No such luck. You’ll notice I put the word “run” in quotes up there. That’s because I alternated jogging and walking, ultimately jogging 3 miles and walking 2. It’s something, sure, and I’m still proud of it. But I don’t want you guys getting the impression that I’m actually good at this.

Oh my god I am so sore today!

I moved the treadmill incline setting from 1% back to 0. Here’s what I was thinking when I did it: Hey, Em! 5 miles is a long way, and you haven’t run in something like 3 weeks. Zero is easier than 1.

Um, the zero is a lie! It isn’t easier than 1% if all of your muscles are already conditioned to running at 1%. I am perpetually baffled by the body and its ability to find new and preposterous ways to hurt.

In other news, 91 minutes is an awful long time to be on a treadmill. With so much going on in my world otherwise—Writers’ Week, the day job, freelance stuff, and domestic crap—it’s nice to be focused on a singular thing for an hour and a half. Yes, even if that singular thing is the misery of spending 91 minutes on a treadmill.

Oh my god I am so sore today!

I knew it was going to be bad, because already last night I was feeling the stiffness. Lying in bed I said, “Dan, running is good for me in so many ways, and on so many levels. Some part of me even enjoys it, and I always revel in my accomplishment after the fact.  But…but why do I never want to do it in the first place?” I moved a leg and let out a groan.

“That’s why,” Dan said. “Your brain associates running with pain, and it doesn’t want you to keep doing things that cause pain.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

And to think all this time I’ve been beating myself up for not wanting to run. I was telling myself I was lazy or lacking discipline and that my brain was broken. Turns out it’s working just like it’s supposed to.

Briggs and Al’s Run is a fundraising run for Children’s Hospital & Health System Foundation. To make a donation online, visit my FirstGiving Page.

Whoa. I woke up one morning, and it was June. Did that happen to you guys too?

May was all right, except for a 5k race on May 7. I had a miserable time of it, and it was all my own fault.

First of all, don’t run in cheap shoes. Just don’t do it.

Aside from that mistake, I also let freelance writing take priority over training and it showed. It turned out to be a positive thing in a way, however. Now I’m training for Briggs and Al’s Run in Milwaukee on September 17. It’s an 8k, and I’ve been sticking to a very reasonable training plan, now that I’ve cut back on all those extra writing projects. I’m also hoping to drop several pounds in the process so I can finish with a respectable time.

The Milwaukee 8k is my annual fundraiser run, and this time your donations benefit Children’s Hospital.

If you’ve got $5 (or less … or more) to spare for a good cause, donate here. You can feel even better about your contribution knowing I will be matching funds throughout the month of May up to $250. I will also recognize all who contribute to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin with a blog or website link of their choice. Just email me  at emily at emilysuess dot com telling me that you donated and provide me with the URL and anchor text you want to appear in this post.

To learn more about Briggs and Al’s Run and the Children’s Hospital, watch this video:

photo credit: arinas74