Worst Run Ever

This morning's 10-miler was the worst run I've had in a very, very long time: a wreck of poor planning, unfortunate circumstances, and who knows what else.

It didn't help that Ben awoke at 2:30 and we could not get him back to sleep until 6 a.m.

I had failed to get all my clothes ready the previous night, which meant that my regular road shoes were down in the front stairwell. Rather than risk waking anyone up, I chose instead to wear the very old road shoes I found by the basement stairs.

I was woefully underdressed. It was 29 degrees out but felt like 15. Short sleeves under my running jacket didn't quite cut it.

My shoes were bad. Pretty soon, I was feeling ankle, shin, knee, hip, and back pain--the kind of foot-to-back pain I have only experienced while running in really old running shoes.

I stayed with my running group for 6 miles and then knew I couldn't face another loop around the reservoir, let alone running the long way home. I bid them goodbye, crossed the street, and ground to a walk.

A slow walk. I felt like crap. I wished I could call C to come pick me up, but I had no phone. There was nowhere to call from, and no whose phone I could ask to borrow. It was me on a cold road full of closed businesses.

Of course, when you're underdressed to start with and then you stop running, you feel really cold. After a mile and a half I knew I had to at least jog to stay warm. I was still a few long miles from home.

I jogged. I considered throwing my shoes in a trash can or at least carrying them until my feet got too cold. I don't mind running barefoot, though I haven't run in my VFFs in a while.

I got home, eventually, chilled and slow and feeling like crud.

Lesson learned: If you head out for a long run after only 2.5 hours' sleep, underdressed on a cold day, in running shoes that should have been recycled last year....carry a phone with you. Better yet, try a shorter run, postpone it to the following day, or....or....Maybe I'll try again tomorrow.