The Best Laid Plans...must bow to reality

It's been a great weekend. Repeat: it's been a great weekend. There's no reason I should feel disappointed, right?

I have posted about this in my status, but I was very pleased about the Lake Johanna 4-Mile Race yesterday. It was my first "real" race of the season, and I felt really good. Winter training is paying off.

I ran the 4 miles in 38:07, an average of 9:26 per mile pace, and I ran faster every mile, finishing with enough left in the tank for a little kick that took me under 9:00 minute pace for the last bit of the race. The third mile is a killer long uphill, and I was able to pass people on the way up. Some of those people passed me on the 4th mile, which is the downhill side. My knees can't take the pounding of a really hard downhill, so I tend to slack off on those a bit. but I was very happy with the result--a PR for me for 4 miles, and also for my daughter, who beat me by about 2 1/2 minutes.

Today was long run day, and I was planning to do 10 miles. My first 10 mile long run ever. I am training for the Jailbreak Half-Marathon, which is coming up April 28th. I was running with a group from my run club, and we were maintaining a nice slow pace, about 11:30 or so. Still, by mile 7 my right knee was seizing up on me. It would loosen for a bit, then we'd stop for water, or there'd be slanted pavement or something, and womp, it would tighten up again. By mile 8 I gave up, and one of the spouses gave me a ride back to the start.

I'm so disappointed! I hate setting a goal and missing it. My coach was back at the start, and he was encouraging me--had a hard race yesterday, etc.--but I am still mad at myself. Foolish, I know. I should be glad I got the 8 miles in and ice on my knee before it really got bad. That's 13+ miles in one weekend, and I'm whining about two I didn't finish.

Still. I hate setting goals and missing them. What if I can't do my half-marathon? Makes me worried...


P.S. My current favorite running song. It carried me halfway up that long mile 3 hill, passing people as I went, with a stupid grin on my face. I could hardly resist singing along out loud: Don't Stop Me now, by Queen. Best. Running. Song. Ever.