Whoa is me...

Today: 10.8
Week: 52.2
Month/Year: 193.8

So this morning was the return leg to work. Oh, that word, leg!! I wish I hadn't mentioned that. Theories about lower back problems and a sciatica type condition proposed in comments to yesterday's post seemed to hold plenty of water this morning. I've always had "issues" with my left lower back and hip, but don't grumble about it much because it hasn't ever really affected my running. But this morning there was a lot of stiffness and creakiness through that region coupled with the on-going rear thigh pain. I could run OK, but it is a constant case of "Are we having fun yet..." 

I got out the door later than I would have liked, so that left me without enough time to do my planned interval session at the 1325-m loop at Gaien. So I thought, OK, I'll try and do a couple of continuous loops at 4:00/km pace (slower than my half-marathon PB pace). So I hit the start line and clicked my watch and put the foot down. The first 500 m came up in 2:07 (hmmm...in a bit of trouble here, try and squeeze out some more pace). The complete circuit in 5:35 or 4:13 pace. And you know what? I was working my guts out at 90% of HRmax. And yet way off the pace. I can't say that I felt like crap; I just couldn't really run any faster. To make things worse I started getting serious ructions from down below, so I just bailed at the end of the lap and went in search of a toilet. Found one in the nick of time, though to my displeasure somebody before me had not been so fortunate. "Missed by that much." Sort of matched my crappy mood. I just trotted the rest of the way to work after that. Brewed a strong coffee ate some ghastly pastry, and tried to forget about it. (Which is not helped by having to blog about it later!)

On a positive note, I really enjoy seeing other runners come on and have tremendous breakthroughs in performance and/or confidence. So since I am such a grumblebum at the moment, I'll try and make a habit of deflecting attention towards someone more deserving. This week's star performer is none other than fellow Cool Running Team J  traveller KIT in Sydney. Have a read and admire what Kit has been achieving lately. (I hasten to add that all my Team J mates are on fire at the moment...must be the steamy weather down there...but for this week, the spotlight is on Kit).