Argh! Ugh! $#*@^&%$! That’s how I felt about today’s run. I’m depressed. Here’s how it started. I got up at 5 AM without a problem. I even used my rollers on my lower legs. At Rogue I met a few groupmates before the run. We chatted about our individual MPG (marathon goal pace) and they were about the same as mine. I felt good that I would have a few people to run with. That’s good. We were in the back of the room, and by the time we exited and started up the hill we were at the back of the pack. Soon my groupmates were sailing along. And me. What about me? Well my right ankle was getting tighter and tighter. I was falling back. Then I had to walk. I lost sight of them. I tried to run again, but again had to walk. Both ankles were cramping. Everybody passed me. This crappy warm-up was the most depressing run I’ve had in ages. Why is this happening to me? Why can’t I be like the others who just bound along happy in their ability to move. Four miles of warm-up hell took 50 minutes, which should have been easy. I arrived exhausted at the water-stop and MPG start-point. Geezer and Ed B were there and I told them I was cramping. I need help understanding what’s causing this condition. HELP! HELP! HELP! I rested a minute. Nevertheless I headed out on my MPG run. Since I really wasn’t warmed-up I had to push myself to get started. It wasn’t an easy pace which it should have been. Luckily the miles went by, and my ankle had finally loosened up. Four miles up, and four miles back: 9:00, 9:10, 8:49, 8:48, 8:49, 9:03, 9:03, and 8:44. Unfortunately I was faster than my 9:10 MGP, and I while I was doing it I was worried that I couldn’t keep up this pace for 26.2. The way back took me 42 minutes which was better. So although I did what was requested I was shaken by the awful warm-up. Is this what’s going to happen to me on Marathon day going up South Congress. I’m terribly worried.
