Cursed Realm of the Faceless Ghost

Imagine you plan a 30 minute run at the gym, but realize that you won't be able to get ice cream afterward if you run longer than 25 minutes. If you have your priorities straight, do you choose the ice cream or the run?

So, 25 minutes on the treadmill tonight. After a one-mile warmup, I tried a new workout where I ran one minute at 9.5 mph, 30 seconds at 7 mph, one minute at 9.6 mph, and so forth up through 10.5 mph. It was getting tough by the end, so I guess it was a good workout.

By the way, I got back to the car after my run and realized I had forgotten my wallet. So, less running and no ice cream for Eric. Freaking lame. 

That's right, one mile.

I had a valid excuse for not getting out until really late. But once I had a chance, it was dark and cold, and I had little motivation, so I started replacing my valid excuses with invalid ones. Eventually I got myself out the door, but it was more symbolic than anything. Some days are like that.  

I was back at the gym tonight. My plan was to run for 30 minutes at a super mellow 9:00, with every fifth minute at 5:15. But for some weird reason my left shin hurt a lot. It feels like I must have torqued my leg somehow, but I can't think of when or how. Maybe I tripped over something at night and don't remember.

Anyway, after 15 minutes my leg hurt enough that I decided it was best to back off, so I headed over to the stair machine to finish my workout. 

I finally hit a blank. I could have run, but I was too tired to even convince myself to go out for a symbolic mile. I guess it happens. But for me, it happens very rarely, so I'm not pleased.

The advantage of doing nothing yesterday is that I got more sleep and felt better today. Even so, it was another busy day (and I should be honest and point out that poor time management contributes to some of my problems), and I didn't get a chance to exercise until late. By then, the gym was closed and it was snowing outside, so there was no way I was going to run. Instead, I set up the rollers and rode my bike for thirty minutes in the basement while watching That 70s Show. 

I guess I could have run longer or farther, but it doesn't really make sense given my mileage at this point. I think my best bet is to keep my runs short and consistent throughout the week, with appropriate "long" runs for my mileage on the weekend. If nothing else, this should help me retain some fitness. If I'm lucky, the reduced mileage will help prepare my knee for more running when I have the time again.

Anyway, 10 minutes on the treadmill. I ran three 10-minute blocks at 6:30. but the rest was nice and mellow. On my way to the gym I stopped at Williams-Sonoma to use a gift card we had to buy a little food processor so we can make food for Elliott. After my run there was a guy getting out of the car next to mine. When he saw me he said he assumed I would be a chick because of the bag in the car. I wonder if he was disappointed.