Lucky 13

Target: 7 miles @7 min. pace, 7 miles @ 6:30-6:40
Actual: ~13.5 miles
95 mins.

I headed out to the river for today's run, mostly because I wanted to do the majority of it on Columns Drive. I figured I could warm up on the jog from the parking lot to Columns (1.5 miles), then do two out-and-backs on the road (10 miles), then just add on via the dirt loop. If nothing else, the run would be mostly flat and I would have several opportunities to stop for water.

To put it simply, this run sucked. I may have mentioned this before, but my legs are tired. "Dead" would be an even more accurate way to describe them. I struggled to stay under 7 minute pace, and even at that I had to stop several times to stretch out my perpetually tight left hamstring. Add to that a burgeoning hot spot/blister on the sole of my right foot and humidity that felt like I'd jumped into a swimming pool, and I can say with confidence that I both looked and felt like a hot mess by halfway. By the time I finished my second trip down Columns, all I wanted was to get back to my car as soon as possible. I opted to cut the run short in hopes of salvaging my upcoming 20-miler on Sunday.

At least September is almost halfway over.