I Hate Running!

If all my runs were like my run this morning, I would quit running. Seriously, this morning I was ready to join the I-hate-running crowd. I was drawing up the T-shirt in my mind.

photo © 2009 Quinn Dombrowski | more info (via: Wylio)

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Nothing hurt and I wasn’t out of breath … but I had no energy. Zip. Zitch. Nada!

I had enough of sleep and getting out of bed wasn’t too hard. (even at 5:15 freaking am) I met two running friends and we warmed up with a short walk, but soon after we started running my legs became quite  uncooperative.

My legs started by feeling empty and weak … then progressed to feeling like they were filled with concrete. I tired taking deep breaths, but there seemed to be filter between my lungs and my legs.

No oxygen/energy headed south.

We were doing my normal routine of running 4 minutes and walking 1 minute. Normally I can judge the 4 minutes fairly well and I usually don’t look at my watch until at least 3 minutes have passed … this morning I was looking at it 30 seconds after we started running feeling like it should be time to walk.

My running partners were chatting about this, that and the other thing. I joined them from time to time, but most of my energy went into trying to keep moving. I had visions of my recliner or better yet, a lounge chair on the beach!

As I tried to process why I had no energy … I began having visions of fruits and vegetables dancing in my head. A few days earlier, the supply of fresh fruit or vegetables in my house dwindled to nothing. I kept meaning to go grocery shopping, but I never actually went. I made meals with what I had … even using up all the frozen vegetables.

I realized that’s why I had no energy … I wasn’t eating major junk, but I had been living on protein and grains with no fresh fruits or vegetables for about two days.

I thought about last weekend when I was at Fitbloggin’ and ate a lot of fruit and vegetables all weekend. I felt great during a run on Sunday morning with my roommate, even after being up late two nights in a row. Darn it … why had I come home and not continued eating that healthy?

With the encouragement of my running buddies, I managed to complete the five miles this morning, thought we did add some additional walking time.

I’m headed to the store NOW!!! And I will see if my Monday run goes better after eating some colorful vegetables and fruit this weekend. Maybe then I won’t hate running anymore or be tempted to quit running.

Whether you are a runner or not … do you notice how your diet affects your energy levels?

If you are a runner, has there been a run that’s tempted you to quit?

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