"Ouch Ouch Ouch... What the...???"

So I haven't run since Sunday... 2 days of rest... and it's a "rest" week which means my runs are shorter so I can recover.

As my loyal readers know, I'm dealing with an injury. It's technically my first since 1999 in regards to running. My right leg is sore from the ankle to the knee in various spots. Depending upon the movement, or the weather, it hurts to walk on it. Just imagine running on it!

I've been reading various articles and they say "If you're limping, give it up." Or, "If the pain threshold is a 3 or greater (with a max of 10), then give it up."

I'm not sure how painful it is... it kinda comes and goes. It's just very uncomfortable... that's probably the best way I can describe it.

So tonight I had to run 3. Should be about a 30-minute run... no biggee...

I set out and immediately I was limping. It was like trying to start a lawn mower after years of inactivity... I meandered down the first half mile thinking, "OK... this just doesn't feel right."

Finishing up the first, I noticed I my breathing was labored. It could have been due to the 2 days off... or it could have been from the frustrating pain I was having in my right leg. It was like dragging a log around for a distance...

Miles 1.5 to 2.5 involve hills on my route. I really wanted to tackle those. As I was finishing up the last hill, I noticed that my pace seemed pretty consistant... consistantly awesome!

I turned it up a knotch in the last mile and when I finished, I had run 3 miles in 28:56. I was stunned... in my old age and all of my experiences, I've never run that fast for a 3 miler.

Maybe this injury is causing me to run faster? Maybe I just want it over with... who knows? I really wish it would go away so I can focus on my runs and improve in form. Right now I just feel like Kwazimoto out for an afternoon jog...

Tomorrow is 4. Let's see what Kwazi can do!