"I feel like I've been running, because I did."

It's the wisdom of an 8-year old. "I feel like I've been running." [pause] "Because I did." 

My hip was achy yesterday. I couldn't place why until I remembered, oh yeah, I ran 3 miles yesterday evening. It's frustrating to have only 3 miles cause my hip to ache. It's frustrating to have my pace be slower than a year ago. It's not unexpected, given my lack of training, but it is still disappointing. A recent entry in my Runner's World daily calendar stated the following:

"Live in the now. Seven-time Western States camp Scott Jurek focuses on the moment to get him through rough spots. 'I tune in to my breath, technique, and my current pace, and I stay away from what lies ahead,' he says. This is especially helpful when 'what lies ahead' is another 99 miles."

I'm in a rough spot right now. Not because of 99 miles to go, but because of how far behind in training I am. However, now is not the time to dwell on last year's pace, or last year's progress. It's time to focus on my running right now, in this moment, at this pace. Time to give myself more opportunities to say "I feel like I've been running. Because I did."