What Was THAT??

This morning I went running with Turtle.  My plan called for 30 minutes at an easy pace.  Her plan called for just a mile, but she was doing more than that before the program started up.  We were running along at a sssllllloooowwww pace, talking as usual... when all of the sudden she just stopped running.  Without the warning she usually gives, "Okay, I'm done, I have to stop/walk," she was just walking.  Then, to make it even stranger...she said, "DID YOU SEE THAT?  I just stopped running.  What was THAT?  Why did I just stop?  What happened??"

Now, I don't know for sure if what I said was completely correct, but I told her she had just experienced "the wall".

Now, I would never presume to know what's going on in someone else's body/mind...but at the same time, I've run with her enough to know she doesn't "ever" just simply stop.  That combined with the fact she was completely shocked as to why on Earth she stopped, I believe what I told her was the truth.  I know I've hit that point in my runs in the past where I couldn't have run another step if the Boogie Man was chasing me with an ax.  I firmly believe that's exactly what "they" mean when "they" say "hitting the wall".

It really struck me, too.  Here's the thing...in the past she (because it's easier to talk about her rather than talk about me because it feels much more objective rather than subjectively looking at myself)....as I was saying....  In the past, she has said at some point in the run, "I can't keep this up.  I'm going to have to stop/walk."  (something to that effect)  But, almost without fail I've told her, "YES YOU CAN, come on....'this' much more."  And, she's able to keep going for "this" much more.  

I think our minds try to get us to stop before our bodies really do "give out".  What that tells me, I think, is that I can do a lot more than I think I can and if I'm thinking to myself, "I can't keep this up" then I probably certainly can keep it up, even if it's just seconds longer.  I can trust that when it's time, my body will just stop and I'll look around and ask, "WHAT WAS THAT?"  Well, okay, I won't ask, because I'll know already-so maybe I'll just say, "BONK"!!

This lesson has come at the perfect time, too....Tomorrow I get to run with a dear lady I met when I volunteered at a race.  We're doing a 3.5 trail run.  I'm so excited about it, but incredibly nervous.  She's a REAL runner (read: FAST).  I sure hope this is just a recovery run for her...and I hope I can be in top form.  I'd really like to make the whole run with her without thinking I can't do it and stopping myself short of the "BONK".  Wish me luck.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon.
:D


Great run this morning, by the way.  (Turtle took a short walk break, ran a bit more then stretched out as I was finishing up my 30 easy minutes.)  Later on I went to Hard Body's Extreme Ab Torture Session.  I am getting stronger, I can tell...but I'm still no where near being able to do the full class without slacking a bit.