I Lost My Mojo!

Photo Credit: Ericka W.

In terms of running, the month of May was pretty busy. Officially, I completed three events in two weekends: The Colfax Marathon, The Color Run 5K, and the Bolder Boulder 10K. Unofficially? All I did was psych myself out. Chalk it up to inexperience or my over-achiever personality, but with each race, my body felt weaker and my pace slowed, leaving me feeling pretty dang low. In fact, for the past week I’ve been moping around like a lost puppy. I tried to revive myself by catching up with a local group, but when push came to shove, I chickened out and logged a few solo miles instead. It would seem that I’ve lost my mojo. No, it’s worse. I’ve lost my mojo and replaced it with “go slow."

Well, of course, I never miss an opportunity to over-analyze anything, so, I’ve been reading and thinking and thinking and reading. I even came across a few articles about reviving your mojo… Hmm. Can’t post any memorable links, but if nothing else, they were certainly good for a laugh! Oh, and I’ve increased my parenting skill! Who knew that self-help articles were excellent maternal resources? For instance, when my three-year-old was wailing dramatically about the fact that she was once again at the dinner table alone (because it takes her 

an hour to eat ½ cup of macaroni), I simply looked deeply into her giant hazel eyes and said calmly, “Sis, it is in your power to change.” (And, it worked. I promise.)

Finally, after an inordinate amount of introspection, I realized that I feel most comfortable branching out from an established base level of fitness. I lost a lot of my weekly miles when my foot started bothering me, and with all the rest, cross training, and events, I never fully got back on track. Consequently, I feel like I am a brand new runner, starting from scratch. It’s discouraging, but at least I have a plan!

My plan includes running more. Ah, I know. Novel. But, if you were me, you’d be wincing at those two words because for the first time in ages, running has become WORK. I can’t just slip on my shoes and go bounding out the door for an easy ten, smiling all the way. I have to mentally prepare and practice discipline to go—even for a quickie. It stinks, but it’s real. Fortunately, so is my resolve.

For my next event (American Discovery Trail Marathon), I’ve decided to go with Hal Higdon’s Intermediate program. I’ve also committed the month of June to building back my miles. I like to try new things and hang out with great people, so it’s been tempting to ignore my weekend runs in favor of something different. At least for now, I’ll need to be a little more rigid with my schedule. Lastly, I’ve  decided to ditch the headphones for my long runs. Music gives me “tunnel-think,” and I miss out on both, the opportunity to listen to what my body is telling me, and the sheer experience of being outdoors.

I’ve less than twelve weeks ‘til my next race, with a potential half somewhere in between. No more feel-good-mumbo-jumbo. It’s time to get to work! ;)