Exercise and Mentality

Last week, I ran a 5K (my first official 5K in a while, maybe over a year), and I have another 5K in less than two weeks. This upcoming one is in the early afternoon, on a Sunday, and helps support the group one of my friend’s is in. Plus, we get a T-shirt! Why the two races? I decided that I was going to get into shape.

Breakfast of Champions?

For those that know me, I am not out of shape. Strangely, my physique just keeps itself in shape. Take last year when I ran a half-marathon: the last time I ran before it was a month prior, and the night before I stayed up late drinking Mountain Dew and eating Pokey Sticks while watching Apollo 13. Not exactly the best training I could have done, but I ran a 1:45 and came in second for my age group. This last 5K, I ran a total of four miles to get ready, and didn’t run for the week before. Result? 20:33, or 3.1-consecutive 6:37 miles.

While both of those are slow compared to my old standards back in high school, I haven’t been training, or even being very active, lately in my life. I am working on that (hence the two 5Ks and a few other things I’ve planned), but part of my mindset that is detrimental to that change is that I don’t need to run to stay in shape; I just am in shape. I have been trying to erase that thought by telling myself that I am not in shape, especially right before I go for a run, to try to re-wire my brain back into something similar to my Cross Country days.

Other types of physical conditioning are different for me, and I am making an active effort on those front because I know that I’m not where I want to be.