Rules for Running 4: Cheer up, Butter cup!

Don't be so hard on yourself, my running friends.


You're ALL awesome and when you're out there- no matter how fast you go, how far you go, YOU ARE ALL IMPORTANT. Please trust me on this, mmkay? I know, and I will explain later how I know. Just wait.

Have a positive attitude towards yourself and always know that running is all mind. Be proud of how far you've came and the progress you've made.

If you can't get into the positivie attitude and being your own biggest supporter and understander, then running isn't the sport for you.

And HERE is how I know why- Because there WILL be days where you can't get a run in because you're sick and you bet your bottom there WILL be days when you're too busy for a run. There are going to be days when you feel like you can't put one foot in front of the other and even make it for a mile or even a lap around the track. That's okay! There WILL be days when you are so sore you can't crank out your "scheduled" 5 mile tempo run and there will be days when you feel so fast but when you look down to your watch or treadmill and you really aren't going that fast. And the hardest of all, there will be races that disappoint you and leave you up late wondering what happened and what MORE you could of done right. And for me recently, I've had to miss state because of a dumb stupid injury and I had to be run-less for 2 months. Because when I had those bad days as I mentioned before in this paragraph, I'd try to make up for it by running extra the next day. This was outside of track practices too, I'd run in the morning before track and sometimes after track. This is hard to admit because I know how dumb it is now.

I know now that those days mean something more- that my body needs rest and time to get good. Those days are bound to happen and next time when it does, and your legs really can't take no more stop and do not even let your pretty little head think about how bad you've done, but of how far you've come and how much you'll come back tomorrow and kick your next run in the a#*!

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What are YOU going to do to be more positive about yourself?