Taking a Stand

Report:
Since I went to work early I opted for a lunch run today. Had a bit of extra time so I decided to push my boundaries a bit and take an older route just to see if I could manage it. Turns out I could handle it. Better than expected.

The run itself was pretty ho-hum. Went slow and steady on my outbound leg without too much excitement. Stashed one of my bottles around the 25% mark and carried on with my other bottle. I wasn't sure how I'd handle less fluid than normal but I figured if I was going to push my distance boundary a bit, I might as well push my fluid boundary as well. Turns out my fluids were just about spot on. I thought I'd come in with my bottles bone dry but with some conservation and an attempt to only drink when I'm thirsty, but I came in with a solid mouthful or two left over.

On my inbound leg I suddenly had the "groove" settle over me and it felt awesome. So without thinking too hard I pushed just a smidgen while I felt good. I didn't pick up my pace too much, maybe 5 or 10%, but tried to just run in the groove. I knew once I thought too hard about what I was doing I'd lose it. So with very little thinking I just kept going. It lasted a solid 3 miles or so and felt great. The last mile wasn't quite in the groove but I was on the edge of it enough to ride the wave a bit to the end.

Weather:
Temps were about 50F to 55F. Skies were cloudy with the sun peeking out once or twice. Felt a bit humid but nothing too terrible. Winds were light around 10mph.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was breakfast burritos, hash browns, and an iced latte. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Perpeteum, a bottle of Hammer Fizz, and one Hammer Gel. I took the Gel around mile 4 and finished nearly all of my fluids. Recovery was Hammer Recoverite followed by chocolate ZICO and some left over meatloaf and green beans.

Aches and Pains:
My lower back pain goes away during the run but I felt stiff and sore after this past weekend. I spent both days, for a total of maybe 10 hours or so, working in the yard. Lots of chainsaw work, driving the tractor, tossing wood in the chipper, hauling around a chain, etc. Aside from that, things felt fine. But I did make sure to stretch after my run.

Gear:
No special gear today. Took my phone for photos and safety and that was it.

Codename - Taking a Stand
Felt good about getting help last week. Will go again this week. Hope I see progress over time. But over all, I'm glad I could take a stand and stand up to my own fears. A tree stand left behind inspired the name for today's run.

Splits:
Outbound - 45:58
Inbound - 43:58
Finish - 1:29:57 (a new PR for this route by about a minute)