OK - I think this has to be my worst run ever. Not physically. Just mentally. I was lazy this morning and didn't drag myself out of bed running. After work I had almost talked myself into not running tonight because I had worked late and my hip flexors were sore from last night's uphill run. However, after I got home I got a call from my sister telling me she was taking me out to dinner tomorrow night for my birthday. Then my dad called and told me he was taking me out to dinner on Thursday night for my birthday. And Leslie is taking me out to dinner on Friday night for my birthday. Visions of plump thighs floated through my head, so I put on a long sleeved running shirt, shorts and my FiveFingers and all my flashy/reflective/headlight type stuff and headed out. I decided to do an easy, flat run along 7th East and keep my speed under 12 minutes per mile. I will NEVER run again at this time of night during the winter. Too many ID10T's (as we say in the IT world) are out there then. I was nearly hit by 2 cars turning into the Tiburon restaurant in the first 100 steps of my run. This set me into full bore 'fear of running on roads' mode and I spent the next 75 minutes stubbornly refusing to give into that fear - but being miserable at the same time. I have battled this fear only on occasion but it has kept me from running for several years after my sister-in-law was killed after being hit by a pickup truck while running. I had to check my watch and make myself slow down. I could feel my pulse rate rising higher. My neck, shoulders and jaws were tight even though I tried to loosen them up. I could not take my eyes off of each car until after it passed me and kept scanning the road the entire run. ID10T count - 4 cars coming from behind turning in front of me without noticing me that I had to stop for. 5 cars turning from in front of me in which every driver was either texting or on their cell phone that I had to stop for. 2 cars driving along without headlights that I had to stop for. I am drinking a stiff drink of raspberry hot chocolate now and then going to crawl into bed and try and relax.
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