Altitude!

I really wanted to run yesterday, but I just didn't have time. I left my house at 5:20 AM to catch an airplane. Then, I worked all day (even on the plane), had a business dinner, and finally got to my hotel at 9:30 or so, with an unfinished slide deck that I had to present this morning. Whew! I thought about waking up at 3:30 AM to run before leaving, but I'm just not that dedicated yet. And, a sleepless child kept me up until past midnight, so running 10 miles at 3:30 AM was just too much to ask of my body. Wimpy, I know.

I finished the slide deck at around 11:00 PM and had to meet my colleague at 7:00 AM this morning. I knew that 5:00 AM would come early, but I was NOT going to miss the opportunity to run at this altitude.

So 5:00 AM came, and I threw on the shoes and braved the dark. The temp was about 45, but it sure felt colder. With a breeze from the north, it felt REALLY cold. And I didn't have cold weather gear. My arms and hands literally hurt. Today's run was simply miserable.

Today was one of those days that was much more about discipline and finishing than it was about quality. Pace was simply not a concern I had. I'm several hours behind on my sleep over the past couple of weeks, and I feel it. I didn't want to get up. I didn't want to stay out in the cold. I didn't want to run 10 miles. I couldn't see where I was going. (I did meet 3 other runners along the way with head lamps. I thought about following one of them so I could see ahead of me, but didn't because I thought that might creep them out.)

Anyway, my last two miles were the strongest, and that's good. Just a shade over 8:00 pace. It really is harder to breathe at this altitude!!