Sigh.
Today I was completely listless. I didn't want to do anything. I was all riled up about a lack of job, and finally gave up and tried to meditate. My aching knees took issue with Lotus, and I ended up, face down, spread across the floor, listening to my poor upset tummy gurgle while being pressed into the floor.
I finally decided the only thing I could do was go for a run. Weird, I know. I think it was because I got my Alumni magazine in the mail today and there was a blurb about a guy who runs 2+ hours a day, 5 days a week, and by my math, he's about 70. I also saw a quote on the Runner's World Facebook page that said, "You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone.” (Percy Cerutty)
I got most, if not all of my water yesterday, but I ate crap. Today, I had had some water, but not a lot, and had lunch and some grapes. It had been awhile since lunch when I decided to run. I was very concerned about my churning stomach and my knees, which are making going up stairs virtually impossible.
Before I left, I laid out my ice pack and towel, because I feared I may come back crawling. As I have on the first three attempts, I wrote down my start time before I left - after all, you don't expect me to retain something for 40 oxygen deprived minutes, do you?
I got outside and remembered that I was going to run the route backwards today - the thing is, the Figure 8 doesn't measure out to a 5K right at my house - the finish line is part way up the block. So, I took off walking to get to the official start line and started a minute later than I wrote down. I don't need this stress.
Speaking of stress, I have had on my to-do list for weeks to look up when to use farther vs. further, as I use them so regularly in the blog. Turns out, at least one reputable source says they can be used interchangeably, however the general consensus is that farther is for distance ("more miles"), further is for time or amount ("additional"). I'm sure I have used them incorrectly often, and that stresses me out.
At any rate, I take off, and my knees are doing ok when running, and there's a great breeze, in addition to it not being too hot to begin with. I am running down the main road, breathing like a champ. It's been a bit since I have run down the main road and it was nice to go down it and not be panting like usual. It was a super easy run and I reminded myself that it IS downhill.
Then I turned to go up the long uphill side street. Aside from having two people stare at me like I was nuts when I was trying to be nice, the run was going brilliantly. I was even checking out the scenery more than usual! I was moderately concerned when I saw a school bus dump off a bunch of kids ahead of me, but they were all safely tucked in their houses before I got up to them. There is one intersection where there are 3 or so steps that you have to go up - I had been worried about this due to the extreme pain in my knees on the stairs. When I actually got to the spot, I went in the grass and up the steep little hill next to the steps. Still hurt my knee, but at least I tried.
I continue to be in disbelief about the butterflies. It's like being in a butterfly house - I am doing my best not to step on them or otherwise harm them as I run along. Butterflies are the one bug-like critter that don't freak me out. They are everywhere!
I made it up the hill, and while I was starting to feel it, I was still moving along - made it past the post office and was wrapping into the lower loop of the Figure 8. I don't know if running the opposite route really made the difference, or the weather, or what, but I felt good. I was still in a bit of an emotional huff, and if ever I needed a run to provide the promised endorphin rush/mood boost, it was today.
I headed down to Post-Apocalypticaville. Across the bottoms. Oh, man, I'm tired and I have this massive hill to get up. Slow and steady, up the hill, and the lungs are burning a bit. I'm going downhill now. I haven't run this direction in quite awhile, and this is the hill that usually kills me to go up. This is cake. Downhill, then a little bit of uphill, but not much for a few blocks. Then another hill, but after that it's FLAT to home. Oh man, but I won't make it up that hill. I can't. I'm tapped. I made it past the halfway point! Screw it, I stopped at the bottom of the hill. Much like in Attempt II where I stopped at the top of the hill, I have to wonder how I convinced myself to get up the huge hill and then stop. Anyway, I did.
I started counting the seconds, and continuing on my route. I walked two blocks and decided if, when I got to the next corner, the minute clicked over on my clock, I would take off running again. It did not, so I turned for home instead of continuing on the route.
It was a long, slow walk home. I wasn't pissed today, just disappointed. I made it 21.5 minutes, which is the best time I've had in awhile, but I had SUCH a good start, and the rest of the route is nearly all flat! I thought, while running, that I would at least make it 30 minutes again, but no.
I finally got enough oxygen to realize I had had a great run, made it farther (distance) AND further (time) than I had in awhile. My knees and stomach and lungs were awesome. I had really only had one cramp, across my chest like yesterday, and it was weak and short-lived. Good run. And for the first time that I've noticed, my mood improved drastically after the run.
I'm going to take tomorrow for a rest, and then hopefully run again on Thursday. We are in a perfect running weather pattern right now, but I definitely want to give my knees a break. I talked myself into the idea that they may feel better if I worked them today, which of course, did not happen. I have iced them (immediately upon my return, since I left the ice out), but this has been the oddest "injury" I've had so far (except maybe my right thigh twinges).
Weather: 80, Partly Cloudy, Windy 13 mph, 68% Humidity, Feels Like 83
Time: 3p; Run 21.5 minutes (6th longest time - at once)
Distance: 2.96K (1.84m)
Elevation: +61.5/-65.7/net -4.2 ft
5K/10K: 37:53/1:20:04 (Best overall time, 5th best just run time)
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