Marcus the Carcass

Report:
Wide range of mental emotions during this run. Thankfully I toughed it out and things got better. The internal conversation went something like this:

Mile 0.5 - Oh God I'm going to die. I think I'll just run 30 minutes then turn around. I don't care if I make it to the end of the road.
Mile 1.0 - Oh God I'm really going to die. I think I'll just get to the bottom of the swamp and turn around. Screw this.
Mile 1.5 - Wow, I made it to the bottom of the swamp. Is that a dead deer in the water? Well, maybe I can run to the next little swamp and turn around.
Mile 2.0 - Whoa, I forgot to turn around back there. Hey, is that a cat? I wonder if it will attack me. Better start walking a bit to see if it runs away.
Mile 2.5 - Well shit, I might as well go to the end of the road since I'm almost there.
Mile 3.0 - Holy shit I'm going so fast down this hill. I wonder if I can keep up this pace all the way back to the bottom of the swamp?
Mile 4.5 - What the hell? I might be able to run a negative split if I bust my ass.
Mile 5.0 - Oh god I'm going to die. Out of breath. Must make it to the end with a negative split. Oh my lungs hurt.

Later in the shower I felt wiped but happy that I pulled a negative split. It's not all that common but it always makes me feel good. I'm hoping this gets my ass in gear and back on the training wagon. My upcoming races are entirely too soon.

Weather:
Temps were about 50F. There was a breeze of about 15 mph that turned into a headwind over the last mile. The sun was out but there were also plenty of clouds out too.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a burrito, yogurt, oatmeal, and iced coffee. Took a Hammer Gel before the run and drank a bottle of Hammer Fizz during the run. Recovery was a V8 Fusion thingie. Turns out the Strawberry Banana was pretty tasty. That was followed by some left over couscous and a salad. Woohoo! My #saladstreak continues.

Aches and Pains:
Aside from feeling like I was going to die out there, everything felt pretty good. Did have some chafing going on but I guess that happens when you wear shorts.

Gear:
Wore my RUEZ underwear and some shorts. Shorts led to some chafing but nothing too major. Guess I'm not used to wearing real shorts. Wore a t-shirt under a long-sleeve pull over. Wore gloves but took them off around Mile 1.5. Wore a hat with a head band but the head band came off around Mile 1. Also took my GoPro for some pictures.

Codename - Marcus the Carcass
Almost like a Garbage Pail Kid, the deer carcasses were nothing new to see on the road but always disturbing. I fear that the hunters in the area leave their kills on the side of the road. Which makes no sense, especially when the hides, meat, and even the antlers are still with the body. And while a car vs. deer scenario is also highly likely, I find it hard to believe that a car or truck could strip the hide off a deer and leave it in a pile next to the empty ribcage. Grossed out yet? Wait until you see the pictures!

Splits:
Outbound - 30:52
Inbound - 29:41
Finish - 1:00:34