Bad Runs

Bad runs happen to the best of us.  By the best of us I mean even elite runners have them. Of course their bad runs are the runs of my dreams.  Yes, I have actually started dreaming about running.

Last night I had a bad run.  Now normally a 40 minute run is a breeze, even a 40 minutes tempo run.  I knew when I headed to the gym with Josh that my run might just not happen. I thought about just cross-training and moving my run to today, but once I put on my shoes I figured, I should just do it.  Ugh.

Ten minute warm up at 9:54 min/milie pace was no problem.  When I bumped it up to the 9:13 min/mile pace for the next ten minutes that's when it started to hurt.  I wasn't in pain, but I was so hot you could have fried an egg on my body.  So I hit the 20 minute mark and had to stop.  I hit pause, slammed some water and squirted it all over my body. It literally bubbled.  Me being stubborn I was determined to do all 40 minutes. 

So I started again.  This time I hit my 9:13 min/mile pace. Held it for a few minutes, bumped it up to an 8:40 min/mile pace for two minutes. Went back down and then up a few minutes later, this time for just a minute.  Finished my second 10 minute interval at the faster pace.  I was so excited to turn the treadmill back down to 6.0 for my cool down I cannot even tell you.  Since I was already boiling I had to stop again when I had only five minutes left.  I seriously felt like I was going to pass out. I could feel my heart beating throughout my entire body.  I had to talk myself into running the last 5 minutes.  I finished finally!

Time: 40 minutes (plus about 1.5 minutes of soaking myself in water)   Distance: 4.2 miles   Avg. Pace: 9:31 min/mile or really 10 min/mile with stops

I hate running when I'm hot. I get hot when it's 20 outside.  I hope it's unseasonably cold in Nashville in April.  If only the gym would turn down the heat.  70 degrees is way too hot for a gym.  Are you listening Fitness 19?  Write that down.

P.S. Totally slacking on the rest of the Italy updates. I'll get on that.  Promise.

P.P.S. Don't forget to donate this week. I'm matching all donations up to $400!  If you all contribute a total of $400, with my match we're 50% of the way to my goal of raising $5000!