Today should have been a good easy slow run. But as I started I new it was going to be a struggle to complete even my fall back distance of 10 miles.

I set out to run 12 miles today. I wasn’t sure how the weather would be so I set a fall back of 10 miles as a minimum. It was a beautiful day for running. The sun was high, the breeze was light, and the temperature was cold. I ran down my favorite trail that is just on the other side of State St. I didn’t make it more than a mile or two and I could tell it was a struggle to complete.

There are pains associated with different phases of running, depending on a multitude of factors. I don’t stretch at all before I run so I just start out a little slower. During this slow starting period I can feel the muscles in my legs stretching. Today though my joints hurt. My routine doesn’t include painful joints. Then my feet hurt. That’s another sign that isn’t part of my routine.

Mile One - The pain starts in all of the normal places. I start to loosen up and then I notice the pains in my feet. Heart rate is good, pace is good.

Mile Two - I become numb to my feet, but my hips are feeling abused. Too early for what is left.

Mile Three - My quads start to feel empty. How can they be empty?

Mile Four - It’s downhill so not that bad.

Mile Five - Ok, now I’ve got nothing left. I have to keep going. Do I have the mental game to push through another 5 miles?

Mile Six - My legs are officially empty. My heart rate never crossed the 176 beats per minute but I feel so drained.

That’s it. I can’t go on. I stop. Bad news is I’m 2 miles from home. Good news is my cell phone is my mp3 player. And my wife comes to my rescue.

As I’m beating myself up over not completing my 10 my wife points out the obvious. Due to a release of new software at work, I worked 15 + hours a day from Sunday to Wednesday with minimal sleep and no training time at all.

Ok so maybe I’m beating myself up over nothing - but with 6 weeks left I don’t have time to wait. I have to complete my marathon.