Excelsior: an epic run

Happy World Breakfast DayI’m not making this up!  I “celebrated” with a hearty bowl of oatmeal this morning…wild times ;)!  What did you break the fast with?

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Although I haven’t been discussing my workouts much lately, I still am exercising regularly.  My workouts lately have been more strength-based with a couple of cardio sessions thrown in each week, usually on the treadmill.  After taking last week off exercise due to being ill, it felt good to get back into my workout groove over the weekend.  In fact I had a spectacular run which I wanted to post about.

exercise

I had been putting off my workout all day on Saturday for no legit reason other than laziness.  After asking my cousin (thanks KK 🙂 ) for motivation, I finally laced up my trainers at around 7 pm and headed to Marine Drive for a walk.  I’m tempted to compare it to one of my all-time favorite runs in the Botanic Gardens in Singapore a couple of years back…it was THAT good.  On the way there I received an email which was frustrating to say the least.  Sorry to come across as sounding holier than thou but I decided to channel that negative energy into a run.  I guess you could say the theme of my workout was “Excelsior“: finding the positives in a circumstance.  Irritation aside, some other factors also contributed to this post-worthy run:

  • Ideal weather conditions i.e. a light breeze and no humidity.
  • Killer playlist:  I may or may not have been running to the likes of Backstreet Boys and Janet Jackson.  Old is definitely gold ;)!
  • Stunning view of Marine Drive: There are many things which the iPhone can do, but capturing night-time beauty is not one of them.  And because of that, I had to steal one from Google that just about does justice.

marine-drive-mumbai

Source

  • No pressure: Although my timer was on, running without any knowledge of my pace felt so liberating.  I used my breathing and beat of the music as an indicator to adjust my speed.
  • It came out of nowhere: The best workouts tend to be the ones that are least expected, right?

I may not love running like I did this time last year, but runs like this remind me why I will probably always have a soft spot for the sport.  And for what it’s worth, there are few workouts which can bring about a high that even comes close to a runners’ high….or that can accumulate as much sweat in the same amount of time ;)!

Moral of this post: Whenever you’re feeling lazy to work out, just go…you never know what great workout you may be missing out on! 

Tell me about your last (great) workout…

How did you “break the fast” this morning?  

42 thoughts on “Excelsior: an epic run”

  1. World breakfast day? Oh you know I’ll be all over that! I haven’t had breakfast yet, but I’ll be celebrating with my favorite yogurt mess in not too long 🙂 And I love those workouts that don’t feel like workouts. It’s been kind of hard to get that over here since the weather is nasty and I’ve had to stay cooped up in the gym, so I’m going to say that my favorite workout as of late was hiking Manoa Falls in Hawaii.

    Hope your week is off to a great start Khushboo!

    1. I’m still not eating yogurt so I’m totally getting my share vicariously through your delicious yogurt bowls :)! Hiking through Manoa falls is too pleasant to be considered exercise ;)!

  2. Love this post because it kind of describes my relationship with running right now. I’m slowly getting back into it, and while some runs are better than others, I definitely agree that there’s nothing like the runner’s high. I ran 4 miles on Friday, which was the most I’ve done in a long time. 🙂 And I also did another great workout on Sunday that I got from the Peanut Butter Runner blog. You’d love it – a great mix of cardio and strength in a HIIT format. I’m all kinds of sore today! Let me know if you can’t find it and I’ll send it to you. Have a great day!

    1. DUDE…way to go on those 4 miles- I’m so proud of you :)! Will definitely have a look for that workout on PB Runner blog!

  3. Running has such a calming effect when I’m frustrated! One of the reasons why I won’t give it up completely, despite my weight lifting love. I’m looking forward to when it’s finally warm enough to run outside again here!

    I haven’t had breakfast yet, but I’m thinking that oatmeal sounds good 😀

  4. Putting off a workout all day for no reason other than laziness…that was totally me on Sunday. Except that I never made it to the gym, and decided to “adjust” my rest day instead. Oh well, sometimes I just can’t get motivated. But you’re right, it’s always great when you do! Great runs are the best feeling.

    1. Good call on rescheduling your workout- sometimes it’s just not worth it if you’re mentally not there. Hope you feel recharged after you rest day :)!

  5. When I first started lifting, I dearly missed that runners high. I eventually got over it, but then grew to have the same feelings (if not better!) with 1RM lifting. I think running made me feel happy and free, whereas lifting makes me feel strong and unstoppable. I also find the high lasts a lot longer with lifting than with running, probably because I spend days beforehand psyching myself up – which I wouldn’t do with a run, although I may have to nowadays 😉

    1. You hit the nail on the head about the differences between a runners’ high & a lifters’ high! Running is liberating whereas lifting is so empowering!

  6. AH I love this!! My runs have been SLACKING lately, and they have been so tough!! I am holding out for that one powerful and killer run though!! You are inspiring me to find that positivity! I had a breakfast cookie…that’s all so far!!

  7. Haha happy breakfast day to you too! I had a big warm bowl of oatmeal with banana, honey and chia seeds 🙂 Glad you’re feeling better – that negative energy plus the break in working out must have given you the best boost! Usually when i finish bootcamp I think it was a great work out because I still surprise myself at the strange things I do so early in the morning and I’m so relieved when its over lol!

  8. I’m with ya–nothing better than some throwback Backstreet Boys to fuel a workout. Happy World Breakfast Day!! I celebrated with sunnyside up eggs, toast with avocado and some blackberries. Yummm 🙂

  9. my last workout was on Friday.. I forced myself to go, and it was a good workout, music definitely helps so much!
    wow, i ate breakfast this morning.. dont’ ask. ok i’l tell you.. coffee and a mini cranberry croissant.. so mini i only got 3 bites.
    🙂

  10. I broke my fast with good old Peanut butter and banana on whole wheat with a glass of fresh juice 🙂 Lately, I was getting upset coz I was not working out as much but on Saturday- I went for a jog and loved it. I felt like a new person altogether. Running is the best thing ever!!!!

  11. You’re right. It’s often the most unexpected times where we have a great workout. This run sounds fabulous and to have a view like that would be amazing. I broke my fast today with coffee and toast, smothered in butter, the real deal too.

  12. So so so true! Some of my best runs were in the evening when the sun was setting, and I was putting off the workout for the entire day. Marine Drive looks like a beautiful place!!

    1. For me, I think a lot has to do with that mental aspect of thinking that I am not an evening exerciser…apparently I am ;)!

  13. Nooooooo! I completely missed the memo about National Breakfast Day! It’s never too late to celebrate, though, right? I guess I celebrate every day, but this morning’s breakfast was not exciting in the least bit (egg white peanut butter oatmeal is nutritious and delicious, but I need to start jazzing things up like you do–your bowl looks wonderful!), so I think I’ll make myself something slightly more special tomorrow to make up for it. 🙂

    I think runner’s high is one of the best feelings in the world. That’s a dramatic statement, but I stand by it. Even though I don’t run nearly as long or as frequently as I used to, I can’t deny that I feel my best after a run–especially one that’s mileage and measurement free. And I couldn’t agree with you more about the best workouts often being those that weren’t expected. My strongest days in the gym or on the pavement often come after hours of building up enough motivation just to get my bum out the door! Oh, and BSB and Janet are some of the best running jams ever.

    Hope you had a wonderful Monday! <3 xoxo

  14. I think I’d love your playlist 🙂 Love when you can take negatives and turn them into a killer workout! Feels so good, like you say, making something good out of something not so good. Can’t believe I missed world breakfast day! I mean, I ate breakfast, because I have no idea how people exist without it, but it could have used more celebrating–I think I went with “leftovers from the fridge” yesterday.

  15. This is just too awesome Khushboo… runs like that are the very reason I LOVE the sport and that sort of feeling makes all the effort put in worth it 🙂 And yes I agree about those random impromptu times you decide to just finally get up and get out there… they do indeed usually turn out to be a major success!
    Gah I.miss.running. I am living vicariously through you 😉

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