What do you do when you can’t make up your mind??? Do you go crazy? Get anxious? Ask everybody? Freak out and decide just so you don’t have to wonder anymore? Well, my wise grandma used to say that when you can’t make a decision, you just delay it, wait and wait and at some point the door will open up for you. You don’t pick the door, the door picks you…
But let me back up a little… Back in November when I was coming back to running, I signed up for the Manhattan Half as I knew it’d get full and it would be a good reason for me to train thru the crappy December-January weather (which ended up being as un-crappy as it could be!). Early December I started getting crazy pain, stopped running and was out for a month. Again. Mid January I started back up slowly.
First Week in January: 5 miles
Second Week in January: 10 miles
Third Week… I already had 6 miles by Wednesday, should I even go up to (plus 13) 19? Yeah, might be too much, mostly after a longest run of 6.5 the weekend before, longest run in almost two months so I know I shouldn’t, this is why I always end up getting in trouble, and I know I need to be smarter so I really shouldn’t but I didn’t rule it out as I didn’t really committ to it, I was in a waiting phased and decided to let the door pick me.
They said it might snow. I didn’t carboload but I did set the alarm for 6:30 am and set some clothes out. My phone starts bleeping with text messages before that. I look at the bible:
What?
Oh ok… refreshed the NYRR page, and see the door!!!!
Because of the snow, they had turned the race into a fun run, which means no scoring, no timing mats, and run whatever you want and time yourself. And, if you don’t show up, you still get credit towards the marathon… KA-Chiiiiing. I can use any sleeping time any time, so I replied to some texts, I think I tweeted I was staying put (which apparently I didn’t) and turned in place!
It’s gorgeous to wake up to snow, and given now I had skipped a race, or cheering with my team, and then post race brunch, I had a few osom hours in my hand to waste. So I got right to it:
As soon as I open it up, I discover the sweetest note:
This is what I call Saturday-Snow-Happinees Mission Complete.
I know this waiting for the door to open passive approach is not for everybody. You have to take in whatever life throws at you and deal with it. But it seems to work. And really, my grandma was never wrong with anything else.
runningandthecity 