Racing Secretly

Do you ever find yourself in a secret race?  You know the kind where you are just out doing your run, no particular goal or workout and you casually see another runner, maybe across the street, maybe ahead on the path.  They just think they are out for a nice run and all of sudden you become aware that your internal dialogue has kind of shifted from, "gee it's nice not being the only one out here at 4:30." To something like, "okay if that's how we're going to to do this, bring it."

The key to the whole secret race is you can't actually say any of that out loud.  For me it does not happen all the time.  Lots of time I can nod and run on and barely notice the person who may remain ahead, or may drift by.  But certain days, for whatever reason, it is different.  Today was like that for me.  It wasn't a particularly fast run for me, but I had been sick the last few days and today I was feeling better.  I saw her across the street, several hundred yards ahead of me and I thought okay you can do this.  She isn't running that hard.  All of sudden I am fully engaged in making sure I pass her.  In an instant it isn't about how I feel or if I'm tired.  I am just me, feeling good and focused on running past my imagined opponent.

Some days we just need that mental pick me up.  Maybe it is that this is the longest time hubby and I have gone without a race and I enjoy racing for the challenge and the energy.  It could just be that after a tough couple of days I needed to focus on something else and remind myself why I love this.  Whatever the reason.  I am grateful to my racing partner today even if she did not know we were racing and I am also a little grateful that I passed her.