Recap

Thursday was the worst day in terms of how I was feeling all week, so I took the day off (from running, not from work, unfortunately). Friday I struggled through 3 miles on the road and finished in 31:04.

Today I was feeling quite a bit better, but when I woke up my back was really really achy (it's REALLY time for a new mattress!) But I had told Haley that I would go for a run with her since she really wants to run the Art City 5k, so she talked me into getting all dressed up and going out with her for "at least a mile, maybe a mile-and-a-half." We ended up doing 1.73 miles in 21:32, for an average pace of 12:28. She ran the whole way, carrying her ipod and eventually carrying her headphones too since they wouldn't stay on her head. Her 7-year-old legs carried her the whole way. I wish I'd have gotten a picture.

After she and I came home, I evaluated how my back was doing and decided I probably wasn't going to get in the 15 miler I had planned today, but I needed to do something, so I headed out the door. After about 3 miles my back hurt so bad that I could hardly keep going, so I turned and took the shortcut home (about 3 miles of near constant uphill). Finished the 5.9 miles in 1:05:32, a pace of 11:07. Right where I like to be for long runs, but considering the back pain and the uphill finish, I think it was above-average for me. My legs and lungs felt fine, so I know I'm where I want to be, fitness-wise, but I just can't do it when the lower back aches like that.