FitCorp Training Run #12 - The Best Worst Run Ever!

I should have known that it wasn't going to be my best run.

Factors working against me:

• I felt like I was fighting a bug all week. You know the feeling, run down and tired.
  
• I had one of my shoulder and neck aches the night before, and therefore tossed and turned all night and slept very little.
  

I took about four advil to get out the door, but I knew the run would help.

So why do I call it the Best Worst Run?

Factors to the Worst:

• Even though I went outside to pull in signal for my Garmin before the run, when the run actually started it couldn't get a location. Check it out on the review the run, it has me running across the common and depending on it's mood, in Chinatown.
  
• Right from the get-go my pace and energy were off.
  
• I didn't hit my stride until about mile 7, and it only lasted until about mile 7.5.
  
• My legs felt dead and hollow most of the run.
  
• I had to walk sections coming back, at best alternating blocks.
  
• I thought I was going to have to roll myself up the State House hill.
  
• Having such an off day really was a spirit breaker.
  
• My feeling like poop was so strong that it seemed that every dog I got within 20 yards of assumed the position.
  

Factor to the Best - Despite all of the above, I completed the long distance. 18+ according to FitCorp, 19 according to Garmin

Also making it interesting along the way and an alright run:

• I ran up the BC and Newton Hills.
  
• I hit the wall twice and managed to keep going both times.
  
• I never realized how many houses in Newton remind me of Grandma Frankie's house. Always an enjoyable sight.
  
• The snow has melted and the trees are starting to bud. I don't care what the groundhog said, spring is right around the corner. When we did this run last year the water stops were in snow banks.
  
• Coming back along Beacon Street I saw a Tesla Roadster with CA plates. It is a very good looking car!
  
• Even feeling like toast at the end I was able to make myself alternate blocks of running and walking.
  
• I was right, the run made my shoulder and neck stop hurting.
  

All of the details for this week can be seen by clicking here.

Needless to say, I'm already looking forward to the next run and a chance to redeem myself.

Thanks this week to Doris and David, Lee and Sharon, Judy Cause, Bill Peake, and Dad for sponsoring me and supporting the Eaton-Peabody Lab. Don't forget, you can donate by clicking on the Firstgiving link on the right. Clicking on the ads on this page also produce a small amount that I will be giving to MEEI and the Eaton-Peabody.

FitCorp Training Run #4 - Revenge of the Road

It was bound to happen at some point, and I should probably be glad to get it out of the way now, but this past Saturday's run was bad. How bad you ask? A little over 10 instead of 12 bad. A 11 minute plus pace instead of a 10 minute pace bad. A had to walk part of it bad. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It all started Christmas eve. The kids were excited. Trina woke up at 12:30am. Luckly Nana was able to get her back off to dreamland. Then it was Zander at 3:30am. He too could be convinced that sleep was a good idea. But his waking up woke up Katrina, who took over my side of the bed, which sent me packing to her bed. Needless to say, we were up early. The point? Night 1 of bad sleep.

Christmas was a terrific day. We opened presents with the kids in the morning. Enjoyed some breakfast. Hosted the family for lunch, and then opened more presents with them. Needless to say, an exhausting day. The entire house was in bed by 8:30. Which would normally make for a great night's sleep. And sleep well I did. Until 4:30. So by mid-day I was tired and starting to not feel well. By Friday night it was the cold sweats and early to bed again.

Hello Saturday Morning! I woke up feeling with a head like a cement block. Isn't that what the Claritan is for? So I started treating it like any normal Saturday morning. Coffee, breakfast, newspaper, check. I put my running bag together and got ready to go. But I wasn't feeling 100% and told Karen I was thinking about skipping the run and doing it on Sunday instead, but was afraid that I wouldn't get it in. Her response was right to the point, " you mean you're afraid that if you don't run today you won't ever run again?". Yes! I didn't say this obession makes sense.

So now you have the back story. The run was suppose to be 12 miles. I knew it was going to be a fight to complete, so I tried to start out slow. I usually don't hit my grove until mile 4, so I wasn't overly concerned at the mile 3 waterstop when I still felt dead on my legs. But she. I hit mile 5 I knew. I knew 12 miles were not going to be mine that day. I knew that it was time to turn it around. I went out with a low tank and started back on empty. The way back was so bad that I walked part of it and couldn't even run all of the way up the hill to One Beacon Street. The lone highlight I can think of was seeing an Irish Setter. I was so disgusted that I didn't even bother stretching. You can review the terrible run following the link below.

FitCorp Training Run #4

Lessons learned: listen to my body, cut myself a break, bad days happen, and stretch no matter what.

The good news is this coming Saturday is the Newton Hills. Time for some redemption!

Thank you to Carlo Severo, John Meade, Margaret Moran (who will hopefully also be at the marathon), Dave Santino (Marathon 20??), Karen, Mary Buonanno (My smile at the marathon mile 10 water stop), Dave Magliozzi, and Catherine Corliss for supporting me and the Eaton-Peabody Lab since my last post.