Random Respect

I’m in Nursing School, and I am a runner.  These things have an inverse correlation.  The more time I spend in school, the less I am running.  Of course, the more I’m in school, the more desperate I am for some time on the roads.

Nursing school has forced a change of pace.

When people ask me what kind of runner I am, my response is that I’m a marathoner.  I enjoy the distance.  It’s long, it’s brutal, and apparently I like being miserable for hours on end.

But hours of running at a time do not fit that well with my school schedule.  Toss in some work, a few klingons, and the volunteer hours I put in for my Running Club, and there’s not a whole lot of excess time floating around this semester.

I keep eeking out “30 minutes” here, or “30 minutes” there to run.

So, recently, I was talking to a newbie runner who asked what I training "for".  I explained that I have my sights set on a 10K PR.

In response to that, she said, “Well, it’s only 6.2 miles.  I guess you don’t find that challenging,” with an apologetic shrug and nod toward her shining white Asics.  I cringed. 

And then I threw back, "hey, respect the distance.  Any distance."

I firmly believe that.

Respect the distance... because it never fails...  I get spanked whenever I don't.

And here's the thing that I really wanted to tell that newbie runner but didn't.  Lately I’ve been struggling to finish my 10K training runs in a way that feels solid.  I dragged myself through an 8K with breath wheezing.

So suddenly, I’m this woman who ran 2 marathons in 28 days last year, who can’t even manage to get a solid 6.2 miles laid down on the streets of RVA?  I can’t even do 6+ miles with hills at a solid pace?  How is that even possible?  6 miles?  I used to run that every Tuesday and Thursday….

And then I remember… hey, respect the distance.