My husband greets me with this question as I walk in the door each morning. And God bless him, he never asked me this in August when I just couldn’t do it.  He knows I’ve been ramping up lately — training to train, I call it — and seems genuine in his interest.

I probably provide more details than he really wants, but it made me start thinking about what makes one run better than the other.  How can one be energizing, yet the next is draining when it’s the same distance and pace?

So, my Graced Friends, here’s my take on what makes a good run:

 1.  Blessings from uncontrollable elements.  You will not be surprised to hear me say the weather is top of this list.  Studies have shown heat decreases performance, and more so in mere mortals like me (as opposed to elite runners).  Summer running in the south deserves a study of its own – it’s brutal.

What other elements have I had to navigate around?  I enjoy seeing members of the outdoor running and walking tribe.  It’s not enjoyable when they have their own animals and Grace lunges and bucks because she wants to play.  Or maybe she wants to eat them.  I still haven’t figured out dog language.

 2.  It felt easy.  The first half mile is always rough.  It never fails, I wonder why I’m out.  But the following distance can feel springy and effortless, or sludgy and heavy.  I still can’t point my finger to exact actions that lead to one or the other, but I know the first has the making for a positive feeling when I’m done.

 3. Successfully fighting through the hard parts.  Sometimes I just want to stop.  I’m uncomfortable for no reason.  I do my system check and there’s no warning light. But that doesn’t change the fact I want to sloooow iiiiit dowwwwwn.  Depending on my goals and if I’m training for something, this may or may not be acceptable.  If my head overrules my body and pushes through with no ill effects, that’s a win.  I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes after I chose to keep pushing, when I want to do anything but that.

4.  Passing a dude.  Guys, I’m sorry.  This is shallow.  I should be ashamed and I am.  But I’m not going to lie, when I pass a guy I feel stronger and validated as a runner.  This is just so wrong I’ll stop discussing it now.

 So there you go.  Good runs are not necessarily related to speed, or how far I went.  They are a combination of luck, work, and mentality.  I’m due for a run tomorrow.  Let’s hope for cool weather, low humidity, and slow guys.

Grace and I ramping up for speedwork this morning.  Special thanks to 7th grader, Spike, for braving bus stop embarrassment while taking a picture of his weird mom.