Total Exhaustion

I didn't run Saturday and I didn't run Sunday, actually I havn't run since Wednesday.......so why am I so exhausted? Sure it has been busy and I have packed a lot of events into the last three days......but I feel as though I ran a 50K this weekend and then stayed up all night shoveling snow or something.

Even as I sit here and think of the many excuses I can use, it just does not make sense. Excuses only mean you didn't make things happen.....I did have a couple oppourtunities to get a run in but elected not to.

Friday night after work, I stayed late (11:30pm)installing a motor in my son's jeep and went back 6am Saturday to finish. once done I had to hurry home to get ready for my neices wedding, didn't get home until 10:30 pm so not much of a chance to get in a run.

Even though friday and Saturday were a wash, I was up early Sunday morning and could have at least fit in a 3-5 mile run before the Grandkids woke up, instead I went to the town garage and got 1/2 yard of sand to cover up the ice skating ring in my driveway.

Sunday afternoon I helped my son's girlfriend move her furniture and then put up the Christmas tree. After that I watched the last half of the Patriots game, I could have watched it while running on the treadmill....but I didn't. Sunday night I just fell onto the couch and tried to stay awake.

It is discouraging to realize that I only ran 10 measly miles this week and all of them were fairly easy on the treadmill. If I keep this crap up, I will not be running too many races in the near future.

Perhaps the past few months are just catching up with me and that coupled with the Thanksgiving and Christmas season is causing me to run on empty. It seems odd because I have no injuries to blame, I should be running like crazy.

I ususally take time off from running heavy during the late fall early winter .....maybe my body just expects that this year. I think it is more than that...I think I should have much more energy than I am feeling in these bones today.

What I need is a doll that looks like me to sit in my chair as I hide under the desk and catch a few Zs. One that looks pissed off so no one will want to come in my office, that way I won't get caught. I could hang a do not disturb/ meeting in progress sign on my door. What am I going to do to cover up the loud snoring though?

I am starting to think a 50 miler in the spring is not going to be plausable unless I get out there and do some long runs. Hell,the GAC fatass in two weeks seems beyond me, even though I was only planning 2-3 laps anyway.

I am getting older and I know that can play a part in recovery, but I have already been splitting up my runs with rest days and besides my mind keeps drifting back to the older guy (by 12 years) at the Bradbury 9 mile mountain race that not only pushed me during the first half but actually passed me a couple times, then finishing right behind me. He sure seemed to have plenty of energy!

The other thing that strikes me odd is that I haven't really raced a 5k or 10k this year....I mean racing to the point of gasping for the next breath and wondering if I can keep up the pace. Though I did race this year, I was not pushing to the point of no return as I have in the past and my times reflected that.

Is it possible that I am just going to keep getting slower and be more discouraged with my performance? Do I have to adjust my thinking to just running races rather than racing them? Like I heard someone say once, "if you can't run fast, then run long"

I suppose, thinking on the positive side, the motor job,the furniture moving and sanding the whole yard does kind of qualify as weight training and the dancing at the wedding is sort of cardio .......so I could count those as a savior for the weekend and call it some training.

Sumary of a discouraging week:

12/07/09
3.27 10% grade hill workout @ 35:01
splits:
10:39
11:16
9:30
8:48
.4 cooldown

12/09/09
6 mile treadmill run @ 5% incline
Splits:
9:14
8:58
9:08
8:48
8:56
9:01

.75 cooldown hill walk

12/10,11,12,13/09 nadda..nothing..ziltch.....a sad excuse for a runner.