Just not feeling it

After a busy weekend of working on the house, I thought I had planned the perfect long run for today.  Indeed, it was sunny, 50 degrees, and the course was a fantastic mixture of paved and rural dirt roads with snowy mountain views.  But, as I started, I was just not feeling it; a combination of poor sleep, poor nutrition, stress, and too few runs this weekend.  Sometimes I walk the line and push through, but today I turned around and made this long run into a very pleasant 6 miler.

It is a fine line, though, and I always wonder, when I "listen to my body," how smart it actually is.  Certainly I could have pushed through and done the run with (probably) no ill effects, but my tolerance for slogging miserably for three hours is low at this point.  Perhaps that's counterproductive, and if there were no question that I was going to push through my mind would be freed from the decision, and joy of the run would find me regardless of initial attitude.  But, always pushing through is partly why I felt burned out on running six months ago and took a break.  Regardless, as winter melts away and the conditions are ostensibly perfect, I'm continually reminded of the mental challenge that is running. This mental challenge, of course, is what makes it worthwhile and so satisfying.  Lest you think I consider a 6 mile run a failure, I don't...it was pleasant and I'm now enjoying a relaxing cup of tea as I write this.  But there's something untapped, for the time being, that won't be let out until the next time I do push through and finish what I started.

Saturday - rest
Sunday - PT exercises, yoga 45 min
Today - run 6 miles easy