Feeling Good Feels So Good

I've said before that one of the great things about going for a long, hard run is how good it feels to just be still afterward. It's like when you're sick for a week with a lot of sneezing and coughing, and a runny, stuffy nose. When you finally feel better, just breathing easy feels miraculous. My back feels great today and I went for a pretty long run that wasn't anything special but felt awesome because it was pain free.

(I feel good!)

I left work early today to see my doctor for my annual physical and to get a prescription for physical therapy. He agrees with Ben and suspects I strained a muscle and keep straining it. He doubts the arthritis diagnosis. However, he's glad I'm following up with a PT to make sure I address the problem.

Because the visit with the doc was short, I was home in time to go for a rare afternoon run. It's my favorite time of day to get out on the road and I was out the door around 4:00pm. It was drizzling and I expected to get rained on so I left my iPod at home. I wish I hadn't because the rain never really picked up and I saw several deer in the park. I guess the rain scared people away because the park was deserted but the deer were out and about. I came around a bend in the road and found myself face to face with a fawn that looked like it walked right out of a Disney movie. We stood staring at each other for several minutes before it casually walked away and I went back to running. I wish I had my iPod with me so I could grab a quick video of Eureka's Bambi.

Most of the run went really well, but I hit a definite trough about 3 miles in. I eased off the pace for a mile or so and got a nice second wind for the run home. Overall, I felt strong and everything feels good!

Tuesday
Goal For The Day: Middle Distance.
Distance: 8.26 Miles.
Time: 1:00:00. 7:16 Avg. (7:50, 6:53, 7:14, 7:30, 7:15, 6:46, 7:12, 7:20, 1:55*).
Route: To Rte. 66/1 Lap/Home.
Conditions: 80 degrees/light rain. 4:00PM.

Notes: Have I mentioned I feel good? I feel kinda silly going to the PT Thursday. I guess we'll see how returning to speedwork tomorrow affects things.

Daily Miles: 8.26 Miles.
Blog Totals:
  Run - 173.22 Miles.
  Bike - 98.53 Miles.
  Swim - 7,200+ meters.