Go Long!

A week ago while playing basketball the muscles in my back gradually tightened until i had to stop playing. I've never had back problems before and don't remember any trauma, contact or unusual stretching. For several days I've just tried to take it easy, but improvement has been slow. Today I just said, "Oh forget it! I can't just sit around..." So i went for a run, certainly trying to be careful, but not knowing what to expect. I swallowed a few electrolyte capsules before I went (I thought a problem with cramping and electrolytes I've had in the past might be related). I didn't run fast, but I completed almost three miles with a few stops. My back doesn't feel any worse than it did prior to my run, and in fact it might be a little better. I'll increase my mileage tomorrow to maybe four miles.

I had to go to the capitol to renew my insurance license (inactive, but no sense in wasting all the work I did to get it) and had to park about a half mile away because the legislature is in session. It was snowing a little and I thought, "Ya know, I might as well run. If I arrive all sweaty, who cares? These people don't know me. What are they gonna do, not renew my license because I have sweat on my forehead? Besides, how much am I gonna sweat in a snowstorm." So I ran, renewed my license and ran back to my car.

My back was sore this morning, but after my capitol run it felt a little better, so I drove home, put on my gear and ran 3.6 miles in about 35 minutes. Three hours later and it feels better than it has all week. I'll do a little stretching tonight and tomorrow morning and then do 5-6 miles, maybe a little more, depending on how it feels tomorrow.

I'm pretty excited about feeling better. Now if I could just figure out how to navigate this site, and work my Garmin, and keep my socks from getting floppy, and run without having my nose run also...

I ran five miles today but didn't feel well. Didn't have a lot of energy and ran a very slow pace. I was running into a very stiff wind on the way out. It should have helped my on the way back, but I just wasn't feeling it. It was about twenty degrees and overcast on the Bluff Trail in Syracuse with about two inches of snow. Some parts were clear.