First, let me say that I’m guilty. Guilty as the rest of you. From the minute I started running, I read the articles, scoured running stores and purchased nearly every gadget, gizmo and accessory I could get me hands on. When asked about gifts for birthdays and Christmas, I’m more than willing to ask for latest “need” that will enhance my running experience. So the culmination of all these purchases has now left me a “Running Gizmo”.

Think about why you got into running. For me it was easy – I didn’t need to have a lot of stuff to run. All you needed were a pair of shoes. That’s it. You didn’t need the latest breakthrough in footwear. Lace ‘em up and run. Period. As time wore on, you checked out the stores and slipped on the glass slipper that is now your running shoe of choice and you can’t imagine life without them. You run at night and need to see, so you get your head lamp. Don’t forget about hydrating on your 18 milers – put on your CamelBak. iPod’s, Garmin GPS watches, heart monitors, Shoe Wallets, braces, Road I.D. tags and even some protection to beat off dogs, coyotes and old ladies in walkers – they all serve a purpose.

As my running has progressed thru the years, so has my gear. Love it, hate it or come to terms with it. It’s what I am…a “Running Gizmo”.

“Just one of those days.”

How many of these have you had? Where your run didn’t turn out as well as you had planned. Sometimes it’s circumstantial and other times you can’t explain it. It just happens. I’ve had my fair share of these days and today I got smacked it the face pretty hard – and I should have seen it coming. In fact, I was in denial and thought I could overcome it – I was wrong.

8 1/2 mile trail run. That’s it. I’ve done it before and I love the route. It’s the one route that I will actually loose sleep over the night before (you’ve seen the photos). Last night was no different, except for the fact that it wasn’t the run that kept me up all night (and morning).

I’m a HUGE West Wing fan. I forgot how good that show was until I found Bravo running it twice a day. Since it airs early in the morning, I have my DVR set to record each episode. Usually, I’ll find time every night to watch the latest conflicts of the Jud Bartlett administration and still make it to bed before midnight. This week, I did not. The allure of 10 episodes waiting for me was just way too much. I kept telling myself, “one more and it’s off to bed” but one turned into five and then into all ten (the episodes were Season 7 – the last year it aired). 4:30 a.m. came before I knew it. I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to sleep and just head out the door. Great plan…on paper anyway.

8:30 a.m. I found myself in the same position I had rolled over to 4 hours before. Disgusted with myself, I vowed to eat breakfast with the family and head out at 10. No problem. Oh wait…this is June in Las Vegas!!! Today’s high was 103 degrees and by 10 a.m. it was already pushing 90. No problem. Done it before too. I filled up my CamelBak and head out to the trail.

You know when it’s not there. I tried to bang through it – I really did. When I got to 2 1/2 miles up in the foothills I stopped and assessed my situation. I had nothing in the tank. Sweat was already in my eyes and 90 degrees was a distant memory. So, instead of making this run miserable, I made the decision to head back – 3 1/2 miles short. By the time I got back home, I knew I had made the right choice. While the run wasn’t what I wanted, I listened to my body and my circumstances and made the rational choice.

We all try to hit our goals. We all try and be diligent and committed to our craft/hobby/sport/job. We all need to remind ourselves that sometimes it’s just not there. If you push it, you might regret it and it could lead to injuries and miserable experiences. My solution is to take a page from baseball – it may not have rained – but tomorrow I’ve got a makeup game to play.