The Buck Stops Here

I was in a foul mood all day today... frustration at work plus the regular Monday blahs (it's tough to get up for work on Monday morning when you've been working nights all weekend...). So I was grouchy all day and found myself looking forward to my run tonight and thinking that I might lengthen it past the planned 10 miles.

I set out feeling alright. Couldn't quite find a smooth stride but my legs felt well-rested (as they should since I only ran 13 miles last week!). The weather was nice and I was at the fast end of lsd pace when I came across this guy:

He was just having a snack next to the trailway, and didn't seem too concerned that I approached him for an impromptu photo op.

That made me happier. I ended up doing 12 miles. In the last couple of miles I was hurting a bit (no idea why, since I wasn't going very fast) and I started thinking about how many miles I still have to do in the next couple of weeks, and I felt tired and ready to be finished. So I had to give myself a little pep talk; it went like this:

This is the part where you have to just put your head down, push through, and get it done. Forget about how tired you are and how much it hurts. Take one mile at a time, one day at a time, and just do it. You're almost finished. Now is not the time to wuss out.

Onward!