So, I had a terrible run last Friday.  I guess it was good in that I tried and I eventually got to the end.  Does it really matter that I had to walk nearly 20% of the distance at the end, anyway?  Yes.  Yes, it does. 

My mind and body both conspired to call it quits.  I just did not have it in me to keep running so I stopped and did what felt like the ‘walk of shame’ back to my house.  Want to know what was weird about it?  I didn’t feel bad.  Sometimes, when I’ve stopped or quit or whatever, I start thinking that I should have kept going.  I’ve felt like I really wasn’t that tired or exhausted after all.  I didn’t have that feeling last Friday.  I stopped and had this feeling of sheer relief.  I was exhausted, probably a little dehydrated and just all around worn out. 

What happened?  I have a few thoughts:

1.  I was not properly hydrated.   No excuses.  I need to do better in general and I also need to whip out the water belt.  It’s hot and humid here.  It didn’t even occur to me to bring water. 

2.  I did not have enough energy/fuel.  I have NOT been doing a good job of selecting the right foods lately and it is sadly showing up in my running performance.  No excuses here, either. 

3.  I let my wardrobe distract me.  I wore my compression capris.  Why?  I thought they would be helpful.  What I did not think about is the fact that these pants are for a 15-pound lighter version of me.  They were so tight around my mid section that my stomach hurt a little bit.  They also rubbed a little bit at the top of my right thigh.  I let that get to me early on and spent too much energy worrying about whether or not I’d chafe from the rubbing. 

What can I do differently for this week’s long run?  See above.  🙂  Do the opposite.

Until next time! 🙂

Ne