It was a beautiful day today and I soaked up as many blissful minutes of 70-degree sunshine as I could.

Tony and I spent the day doing chores inside and out and I’m writing in the freshiest, comfiest cocoon of bed sheets.

I had 7 miles at pace on the schedule – having reversed Saturday and Sunday – and started them in the late afternoon. I felt drained and tired, especially in my lower back, from yesterday’s 11-miler, so I waited. Then, after reading Chi Marathob a bit, I decided I would run them at recovery pace instead. It was the only way I could motivate myself to go out the door, despite the most lovely spring time weather imaginable.

I stopped and walked (about a mile) back at 4. I felt awful. My thighs were chaffing like something terrible, despite many successful treadmill runs in months without that problem. I was feeling dehydrated, despite sipping a water bottle all day to the point I was worried about being OVER hydrated. I was tired. Achy. And my heart rate wasn’t even that high, I just had no will to work hard.

It was discouraging. I killed 15 miles last weekend after a terrible hangover. Then I drink almost nothing all week and I feel like walking death?

I worry that I am not recovered enough for a hard week of training next week – 17 miles is the long run. It’s still kinda nuts in my head, when I really think about what I am trying to do. Run for 5 hours straight?

Maybe I am coming down with something, or got too much sun today. I had the chills and the worst aches later, like my skeleton was on fire. A nap and some ibuprofen later (something I try to avoid) and I feel … Better. Not better enough to try another workout, but comfortable enough.

It could be over-training, too. I am going to avoid speed workouts and combining workouts from this point on.

Location:Lisbon St,Lewiston,United States

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