I wrote this yesterday afternoon, before the Trump supporters attacked the Capitol Building. Based on that I didn’t post it, my running exploits and thoughts were meaningless in the face of the attempt to disrupt our Democratic process of certifying the results of the Presidential election of 2020.

My post is still meaningless, but life will and must go on, the insurrection did not get the desired result and the results of the election were certified this morning. President-elect Biden will take the oath of office on January 20, 2021. Now there needs to be accountability for those who initiated and incited what happened yesterday. Beginning with President Trump first and going from there.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I got to run this morning!

How often do we take those words for granted? You would think after all the years that I have run and the injury-plagued year that 2020 was, that I would appreciate being able to say those words.

I have known something wasn’t quite right with my running lately. Even when I went back an re-read my posts over the last few weeks, I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. It was frustrating and I tossed and turned for quite a while before finally going to sleep. At 12:52 A.M. according to the alarm close I woke-up having figured out what was going on with me.

The problem was I was beginning to think of running as something I had to do, not something I get to do. This change in attitude was coloring how I saw my running.

As a result, I was procrastinating getting started, looking at things like the weather, Winter running, and not having access to a treadmill as things that were making running a chore, not a joyful activity that puts a smile on my face.

I know this negativity is part of the stress we are all feeling from the pandemic and election chaos, but at the same time, I do have control over how is see and write about my running. Those other things I don’t.

Time to change my attitude back to where it belongs.

Every day I have to remember that I don’t have to run; I get to run. Each run is a new adventure where I learn more about myself, the equipment I use, and the courses I run on—all good things.

I planned to run over to the Town Office and also check out how Blake Road was for running. Temps were in the mid-20s with a pretty good breeze out of the north. During Bennie’s morning walks I saw that the roads had re-frozen overnight, so running down-back was a better option in my mind.

Yes, I even did my pre-run stuff again today — two days in a row. Yeah.

Philbrick Road was not fun for running, and when I got down on the dirt section of Philbrick, it was as good as it is going to get in Winter. A good base with a little snow on top to give a decent grip for my shoes.

When I looked around, instead of focusing so much on where I was putting my feet, I got to see how beautiful the flat section by the big pine was after the snow flurries yesterday.

At the turn, onto Blake, it was pretty nasty and not plowed. It had been driven on and was double-track, with a lot of white ice forming.

Probably by tomorrow, with so many people going on it, it will only be walkable on the edges or with ice spikes on. I now know that running the Middle Road Loop later this week won’t be a great idea unless I bring my ice spikes.

At the Campbell Farm, a panel truck stopped at the end of the tar. They were still there when I came back, so I stopped and asked if they needed any help.

They were unsure of the road and needed directions because their GPS wouldn’t re-orient. I gave them directions to Philbrick Road and told them good luck.

A couple of minutes later, I heard a truck behind me, and I quickly moved off the road and stopped running. A courtesy I do for the drivers on a snow-lined two-track road. It was the panel truck. He stopped and said his home office told him to keep going on Blake since it was the fastest way to the delivery address.

I told him good luck and to be careful down on Blake Hill. The spring in the middle of the hill area was all ice-covered. He said thanks and headed off. I could hear him hammering away up the hill, but he made it.

When I got to the hill, I could see where he spun the tires in a couple of places. The footing was such that I didn’t even attempt to run up the hill once I got to the ice section and walked to the top. Safer and I still have a few more weeks before I have adapted/strengthened the different muscles needed to run well in snow or ice.

Yeah, the legs were getting tired, but I was enjoying the run, those guys in the truck gave me something to think about beyond the running, and of a few times I have driven this road in nasty conditions in the past.

I also walked from Wade’s driveway on Stevens Hill. Where the Town sanded the road, it was a slippery slurry of snow and sand. I was huffing and puffing a bit too much, so I shut it down until I got to the upper gate and then ran to the finish.

Today’s run was all about readjusting my perspective.

To get outside, enjoy the challenge of running on snow, knowing that it will make me a stronger runner, not attempt to expect too much of myself too soon, and run to the conditions, not to how I run when the ground is bare.

It succeeded.

While it was a challenging workout physically, I didn’t feel that immense negativity about the run that I felt about too many runs lately.

Changing my perspective made all the difference. I am glad that I had that “aha” moment last night and figured out what was going on that I was feeling so miserable about my running lately.

Attitude is the difference.

Yeah, did I tell you that I got to run this morning?

How about you, is your attitude tipping toward the negative side of things? Can you pull it back out and get back to seeing things a challenge versus something insurmountable?