Up until today, this had been a disappointing week for my workout schedule. I missed both a run and a trip to the gym earlier in the week. Today made up for it though. I got in both a run and gym session, back to back. I had to do it after work, which I dislike doing that because it cuts into “family time.” It worked out all right, though, because of our commitment schedule on Thursday night, but still… Enough venting. Suffice it to say that at the end of my run, I found myself thinking about the question of “a good run.” I also did a “gut check” on my goal progress for the year.
What Is A Good Run?
Non-runners consider the phrase “a good run” an oxymoron. I know, because I was a non-runner. I never believed in the whole “runner’s high” thing, but I’ve got to say that I learned the truth of it. To answer the question though, what constitutes a good run varies, depending upon your needs at the time. Today, I really needed to just run, so that’s what I did. All of my running gadgets were either forgotten, or in the case of my .mp3 player, broken. Work has been very hectic, as well, so today was great. I went to the gym and changed into my running gear, walked out the front door, and just ran. No .mp3 player. Not even my watch. I ran a 3-mile loop through a nice neighborhood near my gym, and I have no idea how fast (or slow) I ran the loop. I felt like I was cruising, but I’ve been known to deceive myself on that front. What I do know is that when I took off, I was very frustrated. When I finished, I felt great! If you’re ever in search of running motivation, know that the “runner’s high” is real.
Then, I decided to get in my standard free weight workout, and on a whim, to check my progress toward the strength goals as stated in my 2009 fitness goals. After my standard 40-minute workout, I checked my progress on overhand pull ups. At the beginning of the year, I managed 2. Today, I peeled off 5. I’m feeling pretty good about that one. On the pushup front, I’m not managing as well. On January 1, I managed 50. Today, I eeked out 56. That one needs more work. Overall, I don’t feel too bad about my progress so far this year. If the weather holds tomorrow, I may take my first bike ride of the season, and shoot for a run on Saturday.
To recap, “good run” is the run that you need at the moment. It doesn’t matter if you’re running a race, or just out on a fun run. And anyone that tries to tell you that exercise, whether it be running or anything else, doesn’t help with mental well-being, is just dead wrong. If nothing else, today helped reinforce that to me. Maybe running isn’t your thing, but some form exercise will work for you, and it will help your overall health. Both mental and physical.
