Another attempt at running before work had me up and bumbling around in the dark this morning. This was the first day in two weeks that I truly felt like not running. I wasn't motivated in the least, not even by my goal of running 30 minutes two weeks (and a day) after starting running again being achievable today. I kept an eye on the light outside and realized I can probably head out about 20 minutes before the official sunrise time and still be safely visible. I desperately need that extra time to be able to get to work on time. (Noted for next time; it was too late to get that jump today!)
I set out for my 5 minute walk (.45K/.28mi), then tried to start my run. My left knee hurt so sharply and made my leg so wobbly, that I was forced to overcompensate with an odd stride on my right side - which, naturally, caused that leg to start hurting pretty quickly. Then, my left leg started hurting in places other than my knee as I tried to adjust and find a way through this. Finally, the pain in both legs subsided, more or less, and I was on my way to meeting my first goal of the new running year.
I decided not to run through the little neighborhood at the edge of town in the interest of heading through the other loop of my Figure 8 route. I haven't been on that loop at all, and have to admit, it was psyching me out a bit. Partly because there's a lot of trees and I feared the cicada concentrations, but mostly because, as the name of the blog implies, change just isn't my thing.
I noted a couple of times along my run and thought that I was running faster than my last terribly slow run, which is ridiculous because of the knee pain and just overall disinterest. I was bored out of my freaking mind on the run today. I had forgotten how bored I get on the longer runs. Since I didn't run through that neighborhood today, I was doing a lot of math, trying to calculate how far I had run and the difference in times between the runs. I really accomplished nothing with that.
I ran through our downtown, past the post office, and into my loop. I was pretty wiped out at this point, but not far into the loop begins a long downhill and I was pretty sure if I made it that far I would be able to finish my time.
As I ran downhill, I started fearing the slight uphill at the end of the street, and as I continued even more with time standing still, I started to fear the significant uphill around the corner at the end. Mercifully, the timer went off right at the end of the road. 3.59K/2.23mi.
I actually still had a little in the tank and if all roads hadn't gone straight up (and if I had more time before work), I may have pressed on. It took me 10 minutes to walk home, finishing out my lovely old 5K route, and there were a couple of times I almost burst into run (mostly because I still had it in me, partly because it was taking so long to get home). I didn't mean to get so far away from the house, but I couldn't very well turn off the long downhill at the end of a 30 minute run when every option was an up. My walk was .92K/.57mi.
It wasn't so hot today and I was pleasantly surprised to see the actual distances I went, especially since it didn't feel that great. I ended up icing my knees this evening - about 15 on the left, 15 on the right and another 15 on the left. That seemed to help, but then I got out my It's All Good oil that was sent to me last year (apparently the maker isn't selling it anymore which devastates me), and it literally made the pain go away. This pain in my knee has been so sharp that I didn't think oils could touch it, and it wiped the pain OUT. {{Note from Saturday, 6/11/11:: I ended up in bed about 12 hours last night and awoke with ZERO pain in my knee. Will ice and oil again tonight, just to be safe.}}
Well, I made a couple changes to the blog layout. They'll grow on me. You know how I am with change. I did go back to my Day 66 post to find a new blog description. Took down the old, "I set out to run past jazz musicians. I should have just put on a cd," and put up the new, "Running has taught me to appreciate the important things in life: like being able to breathe." All true.
Weather: 70, partly cloudy, 6mph, 78% humidity, feels like 70
Time: 6am; Walk 5, Run 30, Walk 10
Distance: 4.96K/3.08mi
Elevation: +84.8/-85.6/net-.8 ft
Just run: 30:00
Distance: 3.59K/2.23mi
5K/10K: 42:56/1:30:45
Pace: 13.45 (While still lousy, this pleasantly shocked me.)
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