bleargh.

When I run, I obviously take note of how I feel during the run. Do I see especially tired? Am I dragging my feet? Do I have pains in my sides? Do I feel awesome and tireless? Are any particular muscles sorer than usual?

Some runs are hard. Today was one of them. I felt tired. I was really dragging, running much more slowly than usual. I felt like I couldn't really catch my breath well, particularly toward the end of the run.

When I have a day like that, I try to think about what might be the culprit. Not enough water? Not enough to eat? Too much to eat? Not enough sleep?

One thing I've tried to balance is eating and drinking before a run. I used to err on the side of eating lightly, thinking too much food would result in the "Scott Syndrome"*. But I found that I really needed more food, and more fuel. So I try to eat well (healthy stuff, but still enough) on run days. I also try to really start water-loading the night before, but not too much right before running, because I don't particularly want to wet my pants. This is a genuine concern having had a baby. And I don't think they make Depends for runners.

I don't know why today's run was so sucky. It wasn't a new run--it was a repeat of Saturday's. I ate well. I drank enough water. But I felt like crap and could hardly finish the second round of eight minutes.

I did finish, though.

Another issue: my weight today was 135.6. Last week, you might have noticed, I didn't post my weight. That's because I was back up to 137. I felt bad about that...but again, I have no idea why it happened. I think I had a few big, off-the-plan meals. But I was also very active last week. I was sick with a vicious cold...perhaps that's it.

I'm curious and a bit nervous to see how Thursday's run of 20 minutes straight goes.