Run Guilt

Since I've been training for these upcoming marathons in the fall, I've been really really trying to stick to my running schedule. With the exception of the first couple weeks, I have hit my mileage (and then some) for the past two weeks. However, this summer I also made a promise to myself that, in order to maintain friendships I have often been lax about keeping up with, I would never skip out on plans to get a workout in. Now I know that goes against the principle tenet of marathon running - if you don't put the work in, you won't get the results - but I thought that by sticking to this goal, I would get my workouts done in the morning, leaving my summer evenings free to play.

Well, last night, I had dinner and drinks plans with a friend of mine. It was supposed to be an all-night, ragetastic, 1am girlfest. Instead, I bowed out of drinks afterward, claiming exhaustion, but really wanting to get to the gym to do my favorite Ashtanga yoga class and makeup for a three mile run I skipped on Tuesday.

Does this make me a bad person? I feel guilty explaining my athletic obsession to other people, so I have to lie about it. Also, I feel like, she just broke up with her boyfriend and she was looking for an excuse to get her mind off of it, and all I could offer was a burger and a beer and a hug. Did I do the wrong thing? Should I have stayed out and skipped my workout?