So, I am up to 2 miles.  Not going at breakneck speeds and there is walking involved, no shame in walking.  I figure only gotta multiply that by 13.1 and I'm running a marathon.  13 isn't bad.  My wife loves that number.  My daughter was born on that day (it was a Friday too).  13 x 2, easy math, no problem.  That is until you actually think about that number in a distance or see where you would have to go in Google Maps to get there.  Ok, I might be getting a bit ahead of myself here.  I'm thinking we start a bit smaller.  2 x 1, then we will maybe up that to 2 x 1.25....you're getting the idea.
Anyway, I went out today.  I was ready as I have missed a day or so, no big deal, just kind of excited to go today.  2 miles, Ill be done in 30 mins including stretching after.  Did anyone go outside today?  Say around 9:30am?  It was a bit cold, wasn't ready for that.  No worries,  I started running, not winter cold out I'm ok.  Shortly after, I started walking???  I just did this, I ran much further last time, before I had to walk.  That's fine, I'll chalk it up to my bare, pasty white legs not wanting to move cause of the chilled breeze hitting them.  Get 'em a little loose, then I'll continue like the other day.  No I won't.  I continue just like I started run a little then walk a little, well a little more than I ran.  I continue that pace until I reach my driveway.
During the run, I started to get a little bothered that it is such a difference from the last run.  I'm not worried if I don't improve every time I go to zip around the neighborhood, even if I dip a little no biggie, just keep plugging along (or for those of you that have seen Finding Nemo in your best Dory "just keep swimming, just keep swimming.  Yeah if you have seen the movie, you now hate me cause that is in your head the rest of the day).  So no worries if I don't break my own records here but, I still think not good.  It starts to get to me a bit as the walking continues.  I'm not happy with today.  Then for whatever reason, I thought, you know, there are good and bad days.  With that, there will be real good days and of course then, to keep the balance of life, real bad days.  Today wasn't a horrible day by any stretch.  I am still very glad I went out.
I have no idea what changed in my mind.  I am glad I was able to come to the realization that it is going to happen, there will be bad runs.  Wait, bad days of running, better.  I would rather have a bad day of running than the previous.
Even if you aren't running, biking, walking or any working out, keep that in mind.  Every day cannot be your best.  You are going to have good or bad work days, good or bad days with friends, it makes things more interesting.  I think it would be kind of boring knowing every day was going to be middle of the road.  Yeah, you don't have to worry about those evil bad days but, you will never get to have that I'm on top of the world, everything is going my way type of day either.
I chose to share today with you not to say the sun will come out tomorrow, don't think it will, I looked at the weather, gonna start making that a habit on running days.  I wanted to share this mostly for those starting, struggling, or debating on working out.  If you get turned off by something, especially if its a certain type of activity you really look forward to, it can lead to you turning away from that activity and possibly not finding something to fill it.
I got home today, not bothered that it took me longer or that I had to walk a good part of it but, wanting to go again.  Not so I can kick today's run in the teeth, just so I can get out there again.  To do something that I enjoy that should help me lose a bit of this jiggle Santa and I share.  When you are in the midst of something you normally enjoy and for whatever reason it sucks the life from you this time, use the fact that next time you will be back in love with doing it to get you through.

Well last week I gave you a challenge.  By the overwhelming response of comments I got back I see that went well.  So, if you did change something last week, how did it go?  Did you follow that change for the week?  Jill, did you get back on the point tracking bandwagon?  Like I said up top, I'm at 2 miles.  I said I was going to change from 1 mile to 1.5-2.
Have a good day - Joel