Today was a tough day. First, I just had no desire to get out the door and run. I wanted to run 10 miles again and that sounded awful. I like trail running and look forward to new adventures, but I can't do that all the time. It rained almost all day, so the trails would've been a mess. That meant it was a boring road running day.
Finally, I dragged myself out the door. I didn't have the energy to drive anywhere. I guess I wouldn't have too much trouble if I would keep my runs in the 4-6 mile range, but going out every day for 10+ miles is becoming a challenge. I figured I would at least start and do as I felt.
The weather was tricky. It felt freezing cold as I was walking before the run. It was also pretty windy. That made it on the chilly side. However, following the rain, it was still quite humid. I wanted to take my shirt off during the run, to prevent chafing, but it was too cold.
I started running as I got to the elementary school. I felt slow and a little sore in the beginning. The legs came around a little. It actually felt nice to run in the beginning. I was cool for the first mile to mile and a half. That opening mile didn't feel great, but it was a fairly quick 8:07. In the summer, that same effort was close 9 minutes.
I went around and did the extension loop that I often do. That adds about a mile to a mile and a half to the normal loop. I came across an older guy that was running the other way. Mile 2 picked up to a 7:42.
I was taking it easy and even chewing gum. I began running consistent miles. That was amazing, considering I didn't quite know my overall pace and the terrain did change. It does go up and down. I was back on the main loop and mile 3 was a 7:40.
I was starting to sweat. I anticipated cooler weather, so I didn't have my handheld with me. It probably would've just spilled half of the water out anyway. I climbed the biggest hill in the short loop during this next mile. This was another consistent 7:38.
The legs were starting to tire and I felt like I was really struggling as I began heading back. I did enjoy some of the downhill and the wind when it blew into my face. Mile 5 was my fastest of the run at 7:26.
I decided to run part of the earlier loop. Rather than run the whole thing, I cut straight across. That was still probably around an addition mile. I got through mile 6 with a 7:33. I was exhausted by now and probably could've used water. The sun was peeking out too. I decided at that point that 10 miles was too much and I'd just opt for 8 miles instead.
I made my way back to the start. I climbed the final short uphill. There was a young girl running by in the other direction. I didn't see her and I spit before getting to her. She must've loved that. Mile 7 was a 7:35.
I remained consistent as I was heading back to the school. I got to the road crossing with about half a mile to go. There was too much traffic and I didn't feel like waiting. Therefore, I looped around and did the very short final loop. That was a little over half a mile, so I stopped early. I had thought about running more, but the slight uphill bothered my legs too much. Still, I remained consistent with a final mile of 7:32.
Some days, I drag myself out there and feel better than I anticipated, once I start going. Today wasn't one of those days though. It was terrible and a real battle. The legs were tired and I became hot. I was glad I gave it a try though. I think all of the trail climbing has been wearing on me. I may need to back off. I might even need to take a few days to a week off soon. There's no point in forcing it.
I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow. Hopefully, I can get back on trails. I was thinking of doing a track workout, but that might not be a good idea with my legs already feeling dead. It is supposed to be another hot weekend. I can't wait for the very cool weather to get here. It has been better lately, but it is still not to my liking.
8 miles - 1:01:15 (7:39 pace)
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