Fartlek, fartlek, fartlek

FARTLEK.  Try saying that fast three times!!  Went out for a run this morning by myself.  I haven't done that in months and months.  I was going to listen to my favorite running podcast, but stupid me dragged the podcast that I listened to last night over to my shuffle so instead I listened to music.  I'm such a running geek now.  I listen to running podcasts.

There is something so great about running in the morning.  The sun had just come up so there was still a bit of color in the sky.  There was plenty of blue sky too.  It was probably about 45 degrees so I had on my capris, long sleeve shirt, gloves and hat.  At first you always think, I don't have enough clothes on, I'm cold.  After about 5 minutes you don't even notice the cold anymore. 

I've been running now for almost 2 years.  The first 3-4 months were just as much a physical battle as it was a mental battle.  I say battle and mean that because I always hated running.  I played soccer for 20 plus years and tried to run distances as little as possible.  I got in shape by playing the game and never stop playing which meant I went from one season to another without a break.  Basically soccer 12 months a year. 

Back to running...so running was very much a mental battle.  Telling myself that I could run the distance required.  Sometimes I talked myself into feeling sick or tired and I would stop and walk.  I soon realized that to be able to run I was going to have to get over that mental issue.  I was going to have to step up my game on the mental challenge of running.  I probably took the easy way out by running with my IPOD Shuffle.  I have to say that the music helped me run that first year.  Looking back, most of the music I never heard.  I would tune into the songs that were my favorites of the moment but the others were just background to my thoughts.

There is a lot of thinking to running.  You can change the world, change your life all in the space of your run.  I have talked to people I no longer see.  I have had conversations with people that are dead.  I have relived moments in my life.  It is weird what will come into your mind when there are no distractions to keep them out. 

Today I just enjoyed the morning and that I felt good.  There weren't many people out at 7:30 am.  On the way back I had a mile and a half to go so I thought I would do some fartlek training.  Fartlek means speed play in Swedish.  I ran from stop signs to telephone poles, whatever was easy to use at that moment. I actually got my speed up 8:30 per mile then would slow down to 10:15.  It was fun.  The time went by fast and I wondered why I had never done these before on my own.  I guess I thought I would look stupid running fast and then running slow if anyone saw me.  I realized that for one thing no one knows what you are doing out there and can't really tell fast from slow and the rate of speed I was running. Who cares what people think anyway?  That felt good letting that go.

I had a realization as I was walking up my driveway.  I feel at peace.  I feel happy.  I just burned 400+ calories and started my day with a smile on my face.  I am no longer ambivalent about running.  I love running.  I am a runner.