Holding back, and letting go

This weekend was a study in holding back and letting go.

Joyful discipline is the heart of a runner’s life. We slip on our running shoes when we’re feeling tired, ill or sad, knowing that we rarely feel worse after a run. We choose to believe that adherence to our training plans will lead to results at races, and that racing will help us test who we are and what we’re made of.

So how, exactly, does eating one’s weight in brie and bread fit into that equation?

I’d been pondering running the Capitol Hill Classic 10K on Sunday morning. But I’ve been racing quite a bit lately, which is tough on the checking account — and on the body. My IT band has been feeling awfully crunchy lately, and there’s nothing like running your heart out to turn a minor sore spot into a major injury.

So I held back, and instead of hydrating and resting on Saturday night, I went out for a lady date that included two bottles of Pinot Grigio and an appetizer called Honeyed Brie with Almonds. Yeah. It was even better than I’d imagined, gooey and sweet and crunchy all at once.

I felt a little bad Sunday morning thinking about all the other runners out there running their hearts out. But then, I remembered that it’s nights like I had on Saturday, and lazy mornings like the one I ended up having on Sunday, that give us the strength to joyfully discipline ourselves on most other days.

Full disclosure: I still went for a run on Sunday. I mean, how could I not, with the weather so perfect and chilly and lovely? But I took it easy, happy just to be able to casually head out for a five-miler to clear my head and soothe my soul. My hip did feel a little sore after, but I have faith that the massage I scheduled for myself at Still Point Mind & Body in Takoma Park for Wednesday afternoon will take care of that.

Today’s a swim day, and I plan to tackle a workout that includes:

300 warmup

3X300 free, pull, with six hard strokes every 50 yards.

2X400 IM

3X300 free, pull,with six hard strokes every 50 yards.

4X25, all-out, 10 seconds break in between reps.

4X25 no breath.

My timed 1,650 went reasonably well on Friday. I finished in just under 24 minutes, which marks an improvement over the week before. Wish me luck hanging onto my motivation as I scrape through the final training yards before the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim One-Mile Bay Challenge on June 14.