Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right

August 27  Plan: 5k hill work  Actual:  5k very slow

As you can see from the comment on my run pic, tonight's outing sucked donkey balls. 

Big, huge, sweaty donkey balls.

It was a challenge before it even began, and I think that was part of my problem.  I'd convinced myself the run was going to suck and guess what?  It sucked.  Silly me - I should know better!

My legs have been crazy sore since Sunday's run.  I haven't run since as a result.  I felt like they needed rest and some TLC before it was safe to get back out there.

Had a massage yesterday and that helped, I'm sure, but everything was still sore, especially my knees. 

I was also crazy tired today for whatever reason and stupid hungry.

Bad combination across the board.  Bad bad bad bad bad.

BUT!  I knew I had to get out there as my 16k LSD is coming up Friday morning and there's no way I was going to either go all week without a run in between or run Thursday night, then again Friday morning.  So tonight was pretty do or die.

We had to grocery shop on the way home so it was even later before I got out there.  Almost 7pm with no food since a protein bar at 2:30.  Eeps.

The whole run just felt...heavy.  Hard.  My breathing was laboured the entire time, my legs felt like lead, it was just extra challenging.  And this time I can't even blame the conditions - the temperature was great, I was in shade the vast majority of the time and the wind was a nice breeze which I always like.

Sigh.

Having said ALL that, it still wasn't as bad as I'd thought it might be.  I really expected my legs to be in worse shape than they were.  Sure, then cramped and seized on me each time I stopped for a walk break.  But expected more pain and agony from my legs than what I got.   The general level of fatigue is what really caught me off guard in the end.

I'm looking into taking some preemptive strikes against leg pain and am considering seeing a chiro who specializes in ART once a week to help prevent injury before it happens.  So many of my running friends swear by it so some phone calls will definitely be made tomorrow to see what's possible. The last thing I need is to get injured now!

So that's it for the moment.  Going to do some more stretching tonight so as to keep as limber as possible and fingers crossed all goes well for Friday morning.  Will be sure to write all about it!