Struggle Run

I’ve returned to running, but this week has been a bit busy at work. I’ve been in the office a lot more for an on-site event, and haven’t had the time to run before or after normal work hours (I’ve been going into the office early, and there have been post-work events after 5PM).

I ran 5K Monday morning, which I was proud of. But nothing since. And today, I wanted to try a long run… and wanted to push myself a little further.

Initially, I was looking to do 6K. But once I got outside, I decided to roll the dice and went for 7K. Which ended up being… a so/so decision.

I wasn’t prepared for how hot it was outside (circa 3PM). The first mile was mostly ok… but after that, the heat started to get to me.

I struggled a lot for the middle part of the run, and ended up doing more of a run/walk for a while.

Around 4K, I was able to pick things up again. And surprisingly… started to run a bit more regularly.

For a while there, when I was listening to music, I couldn’t make it through a song before needing to stop and walk. But the last third of my run, I was able to keep a bit of motion going, which was nice.

In the last mile, I started to cramp up a bit in my left leg. I had some salt tablets and snacks, but didn’t end up eating anything (probably a mistake). I was drinking a lot of water, and felt a bit water-logged, something I hadn’t had until today.

Despite all this, I’m pretty happy with the run. It wasn’t what I would call a good run, by any means… but it ended up better than I thought it would be.

My lower back is still acting up, and seems to be the main inhibitor. I’ve been hoping that the discomfort would go away, once I started running again… but it’s still the primary source of discomfort.

I think I’m trying to go too quickly, to try to return to where I was a month ago. I was able to hit 9K, and I’m trying to get back to those larger distances.

For now, I’m happy I got 7K in, and take today’s run as a victory despite how much of a struggle it was. All told, it’s a very positive sign I was able to get this distance in after only returning to running last week.

Several months ago, my goal was to be able to run 5K. After talking with Liz, Tricia, and Paige… I set my sighs on 10K, and it does actually feel within reach.

Not quite there yet. But after today, I’m a little closer.

[photo via Arek Adeoye]

Related:
Morning Run Photos
Resuming Running