Loving the Long Run

I love a nice long run... when I'm feeling good that is. I set out for my long run yesterday and within the first mile I knew it wasn't going to be fun. I kept running anyway, hoping I would start feeling better, but my legs were dragging and my mind wasn't in it at all. I had a whole body fatigue that was making every step a struggle. I decided to call it quits at five miles. I told myself I would try again the next day, which was scheduled to be my weekly day off from running. I felt pretty crappy and unproductive the rest of the day. I pushed the fluids, took my vitamin C, ate a hearty dinner, and went to bed early.

This morning I woke up rearing to go! At the last minute, as I was running down the driveway, I decided to leave the Garmen behind in the mailbox. I find it an annoying distraction. I can't help but keep checking it to see my pace and how far I've run. It's a lot more fun for me to just daydream on the run and check the pace after I'm done. I know the trail mile landmarks well enough from past Garmen-assisted excursions to have a pretty accurate idea of distance.

During the run, the temperature rose into the low sixties and the sun made an unexpected appearance. The trails were clean and fast from my raking last week. I never heard or saw another person for the entire run. It was a perfect, effortless, joyous run in the woods. I'm glad I didn't force my way through it yesterday, hating every minute of it.

My new Montrail Mountain Masochists were waiting for me on the front porch when I got home! Yay! The ones I was wearing are on their last legs and I threw my extra pair in the trash last week. I love the less-is-more feel of these shoes, but they don't stand up to the abuse I put them through for very long. That's OK, the important thing is that they fit well and feel flexible and light on my feet. What's more, the woman's model comes in a wonderful baby blue that turns to a very nice brownish-gray after only a few short runs!