Why run when you could ride?

Back in September 2009 I decided to train for the the Little Rock Marathon 5k in early March 2010.  My roommate ran the full marathon in 2009 and is an avid runner, so I decided to see what all the fuss is about.  I will admit that I have not had the best attitude about runners in the past, but I put all judgments aside and started running.  I talked to my running roommate, downloaded the training schedule for the 5k, and put my feet to work. 

At first it was difficult for me to find a pace at which I could sustain a constant speed and not get too tired after five minutes.  I found myself hunched over, swinging my arms, and sucking wind almost immediately after starting to run.  I hated this and had no choice but to follow the run one minute, walk one minute method.  This helped, and in a few weeks I cut my time for one mile down from over eleven minutes to just over ten minutes. 

I was running outside and found Conway to be very windy and the cold too uncomfortable for someone not truly dedicated to the sport.  When I ride my bike in cold weather I can bundle up with multiple layers for increased temperature control.  But the few times I bundled up to go running just led to my frustrating of being overly hot and not having a constant breeze one experiences when cycling. 

The main problem I had with running was not the weather or how physically intensive it was.  I began resenting my running schedule because it kept me off my bike.  Balancing a school, work, and social life left little time for exercise.  And with the goal of running the 5k, I had to devote most of my exercise schedule to running, not cycling.  Since I wasn't seeing much improvement in my running ability or time, I resented running even more because I was taking time away from something I was marginally good at and putting it into something I was not remotely good at.

This all boils down to my recent decision. I am not going to run the Little Rock Marathon 5k.  While I continue to run, it is mainly due to the weather. I can run inside on a track and avoid the cold weather on my bike. Because of the holidays and family obligations, I stopped running in November and just started back in mid-January.  Clearly this was a bad idea, and I am not back to where I started.  My legs get tired early on and my miles are long (and feel never-ending). I may have given up on a goal, but I am much happier without the impending race on my schedule. 

In early January Central Arkansas had a slightly warm spell, and I was able to go for the first true bike ride of the year.  I rode the Little Rock/North Little Rock River Trail, about a 14 mile loop, and loved every minute of it.  But that is for another post.  I think it will suffice to say that it is more difficult to cross-train from cycling to running.  Maybe I am just meant to be a cyclist, and not a runner.  When I compare my thoughts and feelings while running and cycling, it is pretty clear to me that cycling is my sport.