writer's (and runner's) block...

I think I have tried 10 times to start a post but keep getting stuck. Perhaps it is a metaphor for my training right now. I am six weeks into my half marathon training program and I think Sunday's 10 mile run ranked in the top 5 of worst.runs.EVER. I did not find my groove. I even added some fun new songs to my long run playlist (Ke$ha following Tchaikovsky with a little Bye Bye Birdie for good measure? Genius!). But alas, my legs were just not moving the way they usually do. I felt like I was running through tar. Then the rain came. I wanted to just turn around, call it a day and be happy with 6 miles. However, that kind of mentality defeats the purpose of training.

So, I finished the run begrudgingly. No post-run, king of the world euphoria. I decided to make the most out of a yucky run and do all the things you are supposed to do to recover after long runs. I drank chocolate milk. I ice bathed. I foam rollered. I adviled. But the lackluster run was weighing on my shoulders, so I decided to e-mail my tri-coach (our training group starts the season today. Yea!):

Hi coach,
Are you ready for the neurosis to begin?

So I am halfway through my half marathon training program. I had a really really yucky long run yesterday. It was a 10 miler and I felt like I was running through tar. I couldn't get under a 12 minute mile.

A couple things:

My last long run since yesterday was 2 weeks prior (last week was 5k race pace).

Last week was a busy work week and my workouts weren't as diligent (did a light spin monday, 4Xhill repeats Tuesday, easy 3 mile run on Wednesday, nothing Thursday and Friday, slow as molasses 3 miler on Saturday, long run Sunday)

I ran on the sidewalk yesterday (too lazy to drive to a trail)

I even took an ice bath and foam rollered after the run and slept in compression socks

I fell off the wagon nutrition wise last week,

So, I will go back to logging on Loseit and will email it to you. But any advice or thoughts on what a bad long run means?

to which she wrote back:

Bummer for your run....you might not like what I'm going to say.

Training is HARD, it's supposed to kinda suck sometimes. If you didn't have that crappy run, you wouldn't be ready for whatever gets thrown at you race day. If every training run ran like buttah...how would you be prepared to battle all of the things you can't control on race day.

AT LEAST, you can look back and see some things you can change for the future right?? Nutrition, so elemental right?? You have to eat enough and eat right or you are fighting a losing battle.

Buck up buckaroo....rest today and let's make it happen tomorrow night. Let that run go and know you are a better runner because of it. Make the changes you need to, get the runs in and try not to think about it too much.

So...I am letting that run go. And as I posted on FB last week, to (sorta) quote Big Lebowski: "Sometimes you eat the long run. Sometimes the long run eats you."