Way off base

Today's run (street): 5 miles

I had great intentions for this weekend's training but things didn't quite work out. A slow start and an early Saturday schedule forced me to put off my run until later. Unfortunately the day became very busy and by late afternoon I was feeling unusually tired. I considered a run before dinner but was concerned I'd be doing more harm than good, especially since I'd planned a long base run for Sunday at Bethpage. I ended up resting instead and, by evening, I was feeling exhausted.

I woke up in the middle of the night with a sinus headache and hoped that I could sleep it off. I went back to bed but I felt even worse by morning. My usual response to these headaches is coffee and Sudafed along with either ibuprofen or aspirin. That generally does the trick but by 8:00 AM I was still hurting and I knew a long run at Bethpage was out. I couldn't conceive of going an entire weekend without a run but I wasn't in any shape to get outside. I went one more step and used a decongestant nasal spray followed by a return to bed for a forty minute nap. Happily, when I woke up my headache was gone so I put on my running clothes and headed outside.

I knew I wouldn't cover my planned 8 miles but I did want to have something to show for the weekend. Owing to my tenuous recovery, I started at an easy pace and followed a route that took me though some streets that I haven't covered in some time. I felt great for the first two miles but by the third I was beginning to waver. I decided to concentrate on my form and my mid-foot landing and hoped for a "second wind" that would allow me to cover a couple of more miles before I finished. I did recover and by the end I was running a decent, if relaxed, pace. I felt almost as strong at mile 5 as I did after the first mile. So far, my headache has not returned and though I fell far short of my planned 12 mile weekend, I am happy with the way things worked out.