When Negative Is Positive

This thing called a negative split? I like it. Mostly because it upends the way I used to think about myself. Warming up made me nervous because I worried that I'd use all I had before it even "counted". I had an assumption that I'd always have less than I needed or wanted. Making the second half faster than the first (or making each interval faster than the one before) seemed like one of those things that "real" athletes could do, but something that was out of my reach. As in, impossible.

Somewhere along the way I decided that if I want it and it's possible for other people, then it has to be possible for me, too. Little Miss Me Too. That's what I am now. And I enjoy the hell out of a negative split. Every single one is another pebble in my confidence jar. Each time I come back faster than I go out, it affirms my belief in abundance. I can do this. There's more where that came from. Oh yeah, I get stronger as I go. The positive self talk flows!

Yesterday's scheduled 25 minute run went like this:
12:47 out
I was enjoying the scenery and forgot to look down and turn around at 12:30. My problem solving skills suffer a little bit during my workouts due to what I think of as "exercised induced goofiness". It is embarrassing to admit that when I missed my turnaround time, my first thought was that now I'd have no way to tell whether or not I'd run a negative split. Doh. A few minutes of goofiness-impeded puzzling later, I realized that 25 minutes was not a magic number. Reaching my starting point any time before 25:34 would qualify as a negative split because you know, all I had to do was return in less than twice the time I spent going out. Crazy thing, that math. Anyway, there I was running back. I am not nearly to the point where I can sprint for 12+ minutes, but I did pick it up and stretch it out a bit. I made sure I could still breathe deeply and I concentrated on feeling smooth. (If I try to run "fast", for some reason my stride feels choppy and my labored breathing scares people on the trail.) I decided I would NOT look at my watch until I passed the "finish line" (two yellow poles at the start of the trail.) I ran, I passed the poles, I stopped my watch, I waited for my eyes to be able to focus, then I looked at my time.
I was hoping for 25:15 or maybe even 25:05.
My watch said 24:51. Boo yah! Nine seconds short of my prescribed run - ok, ok. But 43 seconds faster on the way back! That's a lot of time on a relatively short run. I love running! I love running faster! Me! Short, curvy me! Running faster! Getting stronger!

I would have bragged about all this yesterday but my finish line celebration (and the better part of the afternoon) was marred by abdominal cramps. (Freudian slip that I first typed "abominable" instead of abdominal?) I'm glad they waited until after I'd stopped running. Hot/cold razor threads of pain in a u-shaped curve along my lower pelvis clawed their way down my thighs in waves. I've had this happen one other time from running and before that I've only felt that sick, achey pulse during labor contractions! What is it? I was hydrated. Fueled, but not overly so. The weather was perfect. I did push myself during the run yesterday but I've pushed harder and for longer at other times with nothing like that happening. It wasn't nauseated at all. In horrible pain yes, about to barf, no. I can't imagine it has anything to do with my cycle as I'm halfway between menstruation and ovulation - the two times most likely to have hormones deal a low blow. Ah, bodies! Any advice from my peeps? (I will mention it to my doctor the next time I have to go for something else - but in the meanwhile - ??? Quick fix, anyone? Easy explanation? Or just one of those random things bodies do?) Whatever it is, I'm not going to let it (or the fear of it happening again) throw off my good running groove!

Thanks the other day for the encouragement and the understanding of how hard it is to just be where you are some days. Happy training!