This week I have the unique opportunity to spend 5 days in New York City. The weather gods must be feeling especially generous because the temperatures are around 70 for the high and 57 for the low the entire week. (Thank you for the relief from the Atlanta humidity!!!) So what did I do immediately after landing at LaGuardia? Scurried into the city as fast as I could to go running in Central Park. Priorities, right?

If you’ve never been running in Central Park, put it on your running bucket list. There are 2 places in NYC that I think are magnificent for running: the West Side Highway and Central Park. The surroundings are just beautiful, and there are so many fit people running and cycling it almost makes you feel like you’re in the middle of a race.

Mr. rUnladylike joined me for the run. While in theory the idea of running with my husband is nice, it’s rarely the case in reality (sorry, Mr. rUnladylike!). For one, he’s faster than me, so it makes me angry (and admittedly a little bummed out about my pace) when I see him slowing down in front of me so I can catch up. The good thing is that he pushes the pace, which pushes me to go faster than I would by myself. But in the moment, while I’m struggling as he’s singing along to his iPod, it’s enough to make me want to stop in my tracks (or go on a separate route). But when it was all said and done, I ran the fastest 7 miles I’ve run in quite some time, and I have him to thank.

Was it a walk in the (central) park as they say? No. Today’s run, although strong and quick, was not easy. It took me about 2 miles to get into the groove to the point where my legs were no longer feeling heavy. I was uncomfortable the entire time. I guess the handful of miles in the 7:50s will do that.

To help get me through, I was reflecting on an article by Greg McMillan (yes, the same McMillan behind the great pace calculator) in the most recent issue of Running Times. He shared his 5 steps for having an amazing race and going from better to your best. One of the things he shared was about the voice in our head that tells us to back off when things get tough. He advised that in order to truly run better, we have to get better at ignoring this voice and continuing to push even as it gets louder and louder when we get more fatigued. I kept thinking about that as I was running. I was hurting pushing the pace up the hills and I kept thinking about how I could keep pushing despite the voice that really wanted me to give up.

I beat the voice, but not the wrath it left in my mind. I sort of had a mental break-down after the run. I began second-guessing my marathon goals and my training based on how I felt and what I’ve been doing … How on Earth will I be able to maintain an 8:44 pace over 26.2 miles? Has the focus on my half Ironman next weekend jeopardized all 3 sports? Have I been doing just enough swimming, biking and running to get all 3 in versus really getting better in all 3, including running?

Re-enter Mr. rUnladylike. The guy who I don’t always like running with brought me back to a running zen. He reminded me that I’ve been working harder than ever, but that I’m also living my life ­– not making running (and triathlon) my life. He reminded me that we just ran 7 miles at an 8:17 pace and that it was a beautiful day in a beautiful place with beautiful weather. And he was right.

It wasn’t a walk in the park. But it was a run in the park that I pushed through. And learned from.

Have you ever been running in Central Park? What do you do to combat the evil voices in your head during a tough run?