Naive Running

I finally got to run yesterday after a week of no running. (See previous two posts)

Well I went to this park near my house that I like to run at (about a mile and a half from my house). I used to always run to the park, and then run the long trail. I would also run around the neighborhoods near there.

Due to my previous injury, I decided to drive there yesterday, so if something happened I wouldn't be able to get home without having to hobble a mile and a half.

Now for the last 2 years of my illustrious running career I have thought that the long trail at riverview is 2 miles because the short trail is 1 mile, and I usually will run the long trail a few times, along with my other neighborhood running.

Yesterday I really wanted to do ten miles to keep up my training. As I was running and was nearing (what I thought) was 7 miles, and except for a little back pain, my body was doing well, and my breathing was great! I decided to only do (what I thought) was 8 miles, so I didn't put to much pressure on my body and didn't want to agitate my back, since I was starting to feel it some. And 8 miles is great with not training for a whole week!! Well the more I thought about how great my times I were (I ran 9 minute miles on my first day back!!) and watched other runners figure 8 the trails, I decided to investigate when I got home...

It turns out the long trail is only 1.6 and to make it 2 miles you do have to figure 8 the two trails. I feel like my whole running career has been a fraud!! I have thought I was running 2 miles there when I was only running 1.6!! The worst is that I thought I was running 8 and 9 minute mile times there because I thought it was 2 miles, but really it was 10 and 11 minutes miles. I knew I wasn't running fast but I figured I was going fast because it was flat and I have long legs and didn't have to wait for stop lights, ALL LIES!!!

Anyway, no one else seemed to understand why I was so upset, and better yet, everyone I have told, has seemed to already know this!! What the heck?? Didn't think you might clue a sister in?

So yesterday I ran 6.5ish miles when I thought I ran 8, big difference! So with less than 3 weeks till the big race I am currently running half the distance of the race...

Hence I have quite the dilemma because the hardcore-competitive part of me thinks I should step-up my training since I was running less than I thought on my long runs, and I was out of commision for a week, but the rational part of me realizes it would be better to walk some of the race than to re-injure myself and not be able to run it at all.

This is soooo not how I wanted this race to go this year, for heaven's sake, I started training 4 months before the stupid thing!

Oh jeez! I think I will take up a less injury prone sport like....ping pong