My Medicine

Today closes another week of running and one that brings mixed feelings. My wife was sick so I missed out on my long run this week. But I also set two recent records for times in a two-mile speed workout and a four-mile tempo run. I say recent records because I was able to run faster 15 years ago but was far removed from those old paces when I started running in March of 2004. The fact that I accomplished something at least helps me swallow the low mileage, but I also learned something else about my running this week.

I didn't run on Wednesday, which was a planned off day, and overslept and missed my Thursday run too. Thursday afternoon I was talking to some cooworkers who noticed I was a little crankier than usual. I was thinking on what was upsetting me when I realized the real reason for my attitude: running is becoming my medicine!

I stop short of saying the word "addiction" here because I don't "crave" it by any means. But when I go a couple of days without running, I notice that I am more irritable and don't have the same bounce in my step. So running is like a medicine if you will. Maybe you were like me when you were a kid and your mother made you take castor oil, for what I don't remember. Running is kind of like my castor oil. To be quite honest, I don't necessarily look forward to it, but after I take it, I really do feel better afterwards!

I wouldn't really mind if running becomes an addiction for me because it would help me stick to it, but I will settle for it being my castor oil for the time being. Any maybe next week I can take it in my own recommended dosage - 20 miles that is!

By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can check out my weekly running totals in my online running log! Just click the link to the right underneath my profile blurb.