Saturday Fleet Feet Social Run: 2/26

Thankfully, Friday was my off day because I honestly felt like I had been hit by truck.  It wasn't like I had overdone one exercise and had strained a muscle or group.  Instead, I just hurt equally throughout my body.  I spent most of the day shuffling around my office like Billy Crystal in The Princess Bride.  To top it off, my usual Friday Pre-Weekend 1,000 yard stare was now accompanied by a complete and total lack anything close to energy.  It was difficult to believe just how rundown I felt.  However, after completing six workouts/runs in four days, I also couldn't avoid recognizing just how slack I had been over the last few months.  Yes, I had been dealing with injury issues, but it was obvious that I had used my injuries as an excuse for not continuing to push myself.  So, on Friday I resolved to do away with my slothish ways and bring more focus and energy to my workouts.  The up coming week would be a race week, so I wouldn't be going crazy like I had over the past two weeks, but I also wouldn't be mailing it in either. 

Saturday, Fleet Feet was having a morning social run to help people prepare for the 8k on the 5th and to promote a sale on all of their Brooks stuff in the store.  I decided to use this Social Run as my Saturday run because I knew that I might be struggling a bit, so run with others might help me push through.  Since this Fleet Feet run wasn't after work, I had enough time to walk/jog to fleet feet rather than drive.  The store is only around a mile from where I live, but I usually have to drive, so I can make it on time and not have to come back in the dark.  On Saturday, I was able to use the use the trip to Fleet Feet as a warm up, which really helped.  I felt much better by the time that I got there than I had before I left. 

For the run, we did a 5 mile out and back down Ridge Rd. to the belt line.  Once we started running I felt much better than I had anticipated, but since this was a social run I stayed with the other people, who were running with me.  One of them dropped off at the turn due to a flare up from her Plantar Fasciites and the other lady stayed with me until the last mile when she decided to walk because she planned to run 12 the next day.  I decided to keep running.  I already had a mile walk home, and I wanted to run the full 5 miles to get in the right mindset for St. Patty's Run Green 8K.  After the run I treated myself to a Breakfast at Whole Foods, which is right next door to Fleet Feet.  It was kind of funny because the place was packed with runners from the the Social run, a training group that had just finished, and several people bak from running the Greenway.  I half expected them to set up a wather station.  As I ate my eggs florentine, I kept thinking about how happy I am that I have found running and just so desperatly wish that I had done so earlier in life. 

I did 5miles in  46:56.19 at 9.23 pace.

Mile 1 9:31.89
Mile 2 9:06.21
Mile 3 10:07.21
Mile 4 9:21.04
Mile 5 8:48.17