What I've Discovered About My Running and Workout Habits

Sunset run. Just the way I like it.

I’m a chronic night runner.

I used to think it was because I enjoyed watching the sunset, my legs feel nice and ready for a serious workout before bed, and it gives me the energy at night to get some shit crossed off my To-Do list when I really just want to sit in front of the TV and watch The Mindy Project.

But this week, I realized that it’s none of those things.

Running is my meditation.  It’s a way for me to get out all of my stress from the day and how I cope with sitting inside, in front of a computer for long stretches of time.

When I started running, it was because I was working 12-14 hour days at a high-end boutique wedding planning firm.  My stress levels were through the roof.  I started smoking only because it meant I could get out of the office unquestioned for fifteen minutes.

Totally healthy, right?

I kept running because it was a challenging, it required a schedule, and I made a ton of friends through the New York running community (Hi, Laura! Hi, Jocelyn! Hi, Christy!).

But when I first moved here to Bozeman, and I was working from home more than I wasn’t, I didn’t have the motivation to get out for a run. 

When I’m working from home, I come and go as I please, I take breaks regularly and no one questions it (sometimes Peanut the Cat looks at me funny and tries to claw at my feet as I head to raid the refrigerator. So judgmental.), and I usually take a yoga class on days that I’m not teaching or in the office.

I now work as the Social Media and Marketing Manager at Alpengirl Camp and am there two full days a week. So it was crazy when, last Wednesday, in the snow and gray, I threw on my running shoes after 9 hours in the office and sprinted out the door.

It was the first time I’d run in a month.

I ran almost five miles, without planning a route or mileage, and I felt #likeaboss.

And then I ran 5 miles the next day.  And then my calves felt like I had torn into them with a lawn rake, so I took Friday off. 

But then ran 7 miles (in shorts. Inspired by Ali!) on Saturday even though it was in the 30s.

So now that I know this about myself, I guess I have to shift my attitude towards working out. 

I know that a run is going to be most beneficial when I am working all day.  I know that I’m never going to wake up at 7am and be excited for a run. 

I know that yoga is going to be most beneficial when I have the time and space and pace to practice with an amazing teacher or with a fun, community-oriented online resource.

Hip and heart opening. #iloveassists

I know that lifting (currently, my life scourge) is only going to happen when I have a very motivated workout buddy who is going to make me do some squats (Laura? Move to Montana?).

What do you know about your personal workout habits?  How have they made you a more aware athlete or improved your life as a whole?