back to basics

It's fun to feel sorry for yourself sometimes, but after a day or two of wallowing, it's time to take stock of what happened, figure out what went wrong, then come up with a plan so it won't happen again.

This past Sunday's run wasn't my best ever, but after a good e-mail exchange from my coach, and a few encouraging words of advice from friends, I've managed to put it into perspective.

First of all, bad runs happen to everyone. "It's totally normal to have off days and off runs," says my Rome head coach. "A lot of it has to do with sleep. Not the night before before, but the two or three nights before."

This past week I wasn't feeling so great, and kind of just pretended it wasn't happening (I never like to admit that I'm having a cold.) I thought loading up on Thera-Flu every night would do the trick, but I can see how my sleeping wasn't the highest quality or quantity.

"It also has to do with nutrition, like how much salt you took in before the race, since salt helps hold onto water in your body."

Thanks to daily toast and eggs, and a mac and cheese with ham dinner the night before (thanks, Weath and Noah), I'm not so sure this was the culprit, but I did feel like try as I could, I couldn't satisfy my thirst that morning.

"And when the course is different or the weather's different and you're not expecting it, it can throw you for a loop."

That was definitely the case--I thought I'd be excited to run on new terrain (and see the Bronx!), but the course was full of street hills, and I hate to say it, but made up of two long, straight sloping roads that were kind of soul killing.

And today at practice I learned that 8, even 10 miles, isn't so hard on your legs, but mileage after that run on legs whose muscles aren't built up enough can be damaging, since after the quads give out, it's like running on sneakers that have been worn too long and that have gone flat--you're really just pounding on the joints around your knees and ankles. Regular cross training to build them up is the only thing that keeps that from happening...

Okay, I get it, I get it, it's time to bust out the squats and lunges at least once a week from now on.

But the best advice came from my friend Greg, who reminded me (sweetly) that I still finished, and that if the "me" who was just beginning were to ever come face-to-face with the "me" now complaining about the fact that my time was four minutes off my last 1/2 race time, she would laugh in my face. Thanks, Greg.

Plus, some apt words of wisdom he borrowed to prove his point made me realize I am taking myself waaaaaay too seriously right now...

"Ladies is pimps, too, go and brush your shoulders off."