Stuff I need to remember

This week was tiring but wonderful.  I have run at least three miles every day but Monday. Heading into the weekend, I have 17 miles logged.  I'm very happy with that.  I plan to do around a seven-mile trail run on Sunday to hit my goal of 24 miles for the week.  The weather may be gorgeous all weekend, so the wins keep on coming.  Funny, when I meet my running targets for the day or for the week, I feel better about nearly everything else in my life.  When I don't, all the things that suck seem 10 feet tall and invincible.  I get the bitchy, nagging voices in my head telling me I should have run today, I should have... I ought to go right now.

I feel better when I run.  I feel worse when I don't.  It's so simple; why I do I forget it so quickly?

I am in this state with my running where I am pleasantly but not yet dangerously obsessive.  I can think about other things if I try, but inevitably my mental pendulum swings back to thinking about running.  I can talk to people, but in the back of my head, I wish I was talking to them about running.  Another thing I  have noticed is that with the consistency I've been enjoying lately, my running-thinking hasn't been cluttered with oughts and shoulds and guilt. Instead I've been daydreaming about plans and imagining opportunities.  Where can I run in town that I haven't yet?  Where can I find good trails?  Where can the family go camping where there's also good running trails?

When I run consistently, my brain is freed from guilt-clutter, and I am creative again.