May 17

So been 5 days since I have gone for a run.  Aargh! A combination of being tired, slacking, and everyday busy life led to me not running all week.  Finally today, Friday, I went for a run.  I had to push myself throughout the whole thing.  So I was sick last week and have had a horrendous cough since.  I have used this as an excuse to not run.  So today, I was taking a nap this afternoon.  I was expecting a call from my sister sometime this evening and I had told her I was planning to go for a run today, since it's my day off.  I knew I would feel pretty bad if I told her I had slacked off and not gone for a run, so I pulled myself out of Bed and got ready. I grabbed my Ipod and realized it was completely dead from being left on play all night.  Aargh! So I plugged it in to the computer and got dressed, set my gps watch outside to load the satellites, and then played on my kindle while waiting for my Ipod to charge up.  Throughout the wait, I kept thinking about not going on the run, cause I really wasn't feeling it today.  My Ipod finally was charged enough for the run.  I headed out.

So I live in an area with a lot of hills.  My options are basically to go down steep short hill and have a relatively flat run, with a steep uphill at the end to get home or go up a long steep hill for about half the run and have an easy downhill home, or go back and forth on side streets and gradually go uphill and then have an easy downhill home.  I decided today to go flat, which I hardly ever do.  I really had to push myself every step of the run today.  After about a mile, I turned around, planning to head home.  When I got to a point where I could either turn to head up the hill to my house or continue on with my run, I decided to keep going.  I planned to go around the long way to my house which meant a long gradual uphill home.  When I was about halfway up the hill, I decided to extend the run and retrace my steps.  This would increase my run by about half a mile, making my run about 3 miles.  When I was almost home, someone said to me "Nice cool day for a run and at least its not raining, however sometimes a little sprinkle is nice for a run." I agreed with him.  Since it's Oregon, it is often raining.  Today was a nice over cast day with no rain, at least at that point.  A few minutes later, it started raining.  I thought "this feels nice." I was about 2 blocks from home and decided I would keep going on my run and try to go another mile.  Then suddenly, the skies opened and it began pouring.  By the time I went the 2 blocks to my house, I was completely soaked.  At this point I decided to end my run.  I felt awesome when I got home and so happy I decided to go for the run.  The rain at the end meant when I walked in my house I was cool instead of hot like usual.  I changed and took my dog for my cool down walk in the rain.  She hated the walk but I was on like a high from the run and the rain. It was great.  I need to force myself out for runs more often.