30K!

I started off my week motivated and ready to run.  Monday, I got out for 5 miles in the sun and felt great. 

The motivation ended there.

Tuesday, I stalled for half of the day on doing my mid-week sorta long run.  It was really scheduled for Wednesday, but I knew Wednesday was going to be busy with travelling for work, so I wanted to get it done early.  Well, I wanted it to be done, but I didn't want to actually do it.  I went out, ran a kilometer around the block, and went back home.  I just wasn't feelin' it.

Wednesday morning I was out the door at 6:30am - driving, not running, for work.  3 hours later, at my destination, I got my staff set up and took off for my run, only to have my Garmin battery die two steps out the door.  I switched it for my watch and ran based on time.  I'm usually slightly faster than 6min/km, so I ran for 1:24 to get in my 14K.  It was windy.  My shins hurt.  My feet felt flat.  I did not want to be running.  But I got it done and got back to work and worked, and worked, and worked until midnight.  Ugh.

Thursday morning, I wanted to get 4 miles in, but when I got an early phone call from a different time zone, I rolled over and went back to sleep.  I was still up and working at 8am, with a plan to head for home by 3pm, but we didn't get on the road until 8pm, and by the time I pulled into my driveway at 11:30pm, I wasn't about to go for a run.

Friday, motivation level = 0.  The weather was crappy, I still had loads of work to do, and with 18 miles on the schedule for Saturday, I was very tempted to take an extra rest day, so I did.

Saturday, motivation level = 0.  This was not good.  Luckily, it wasn't supposed to get too hot yesterday, so I had all day to talk myself into running.  I pulled myself out of bed at 9am (2 nights of working til midnight deserves a sleep-in, I say).  I had some breakfast, got ready, and by 11 was in my car and found myself driving to my 5K loop around down town.  Huh?  Was I really going to do 6 laps of the River Walk??

I knew I just needed to get started, and I would be ok.  I also knew I DID NOT feel like running 18 miles, and was feeling really run down from the week.  I really didn't know if I could get through it, and didn't want to get half way around a big loop, die, and have a 14km walk home.  It also looked like it might pour rain, and my nose was a little stuffy.  Maybe I was coming down with something?  Basically, I was looking for any excuse to pack it in early.  Running around downtown also meant that I was in close proximity to a post-run Booster Juice.  Motivation level = 0.5.  On a scale of 100.

Lap one, was ok.  I got off to a slow start, but as I came back around to the parking lot, I knew I wasn't going to get back into my car just yet.  Lap two, I was feeling good, until I was coming back around to the parking lot.  Hrm.  This was going to be a mental battle.  I talked myself into doing one more lap - that would be just over 9 miles and just over half way.  Lap three, I was feeling tired.  I didn't think I could go twice that distance, plus, it was starting to rain, and just as I came to the parking lot, it started to pour.  I ran to the car.

A quick look up showed that this downpour was going to last about 5 minutes, so 5 minutes later, I got out of my car and talked myself into running another lap, and another, and another.  I was slowing down by the last lap and walking half of the hills but, because I'm Canadian and go by the metric system, I converted those miles into kilometers and rounded up and kept running until I reached 30K!

30K

2:56:17

avg pace:  5:52/km

(That's 9:27/mile)

Not too shabby, considering I didn't want to run.  In fact, I'd be happy with that on a good running day!  After a good stretch in the park, I took my sweaty, stinky self to Booster Juice.  Mmm, Funky Monkey.  Yum!

Last night, I was pooped, but we had to go to dinner with the BF's extended Bosnian family.  Normally, at dinners with his family I have to eat slowly to keep from having an empty plate, because as soon as my plate is empty, someone is putting something on it.  "Amy, have more pita!  You too skinny!"  Yesterday, I was filling my plate and refilling my plate, and could not get full.  Not to fear.  After the table full of dinner was cleared, out came the table full of desserts!

Happy Long Weekend!