Mud Run

It wasn't the best run but I still felt great when I finished. Felt pretty darn sluggish but, as usual, I think I know why. I think my wife gave me her sinus infection and I think the last few weeks of low-end training has sucked a bit out of me. And the unusual weather didn't help. And, well, I could give lots of excuses but none really matter. In the end, I got out the door, got on the trail, and ran. And I loved it.

Along the way I saw a family of three walking two dogs, a cyclist that appeared and disappeared, and two downed trees. I checked in on my trail cameras, water cache, and then headed to the other road crossings when I finished. The hilarious part was I was stopping at the other road crossings to post signs and when I got to one of them, there was a huge puddle there. When I ran the trail was nearly bone dry but when I got to the road crossing, I nearly lost my shoes in the mud. I almost wish I had the mud to run through on the trail but I'm glad it was just at this one section that doesn't get much use.

Outside of that, things were pretty normal during the run. I'd periodically stop for walking breaks to lower my heart rate, or enjoy the view, or just enjoy the wind through the trees.

Photos:

These were the signs I was posting.

And this is what my toes looked like after going through the mud.

Weather:
I dressed for 40F but when I went outside it was about 60F to 65F. Winds were light. Sun was out but there were clouds moving in.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was two cinnamon rolls, yogurt, and coffee. During the run I had plain water, Camelback drink mix (berry, yuck), and an applesauce pouch. Recovery was later than normal but it was a latte and a salad.

Aches and Pains:
My right knee hurt  before the run and a little during the run. I think I tweaked it at some point yesterday. Pain wasn't bad so I didn't worry. Top of my left foot hurt a little towards the end of the run. Nothing major. Everything else felt fine.

Gear:
Wore shorts, pants, thermal top, short sleeve shirt, winter hat, gloves, and Buff. The hat, gloves, and Buff never made it out of my car. My pants made it barely a mile before I took them off. Took my Nathan hydration pack and knife.

Splits:
Mile 0.7 - 10:26 (AVG HR 138)
Mile 1 - 15:45 (AVG HR 146)
Mile 2 - 17:03 (AVG HR 152)
Mile 3 - 12:56 (AVG HR 157)
Mile 4 - 13:26 (AVG HR 156)
Mile 5 - 12:17 (AVG HR 157)
Mile 0.3 - 2:17 (AVG HR 160)
Finish - 1:24:12
AVG HR - 152
MAX HR - 176
MIN HR - 83
RHR - 61