My goal for this summer is moderation.  After running five hilly workouts in the past week this morning's long run felt like running through quickly-drying concrete.  Nothing hurt, but my legs would simply not turn over with their usual quick response.  It was frustrating - I'm a self-conscious person to begin with, and when I totally drag on a workout I feel like some sort of fraud.  Beyond that, it's always frustrating when your body refuses to function in the manner your mind demands.

I made it through the workout, 8.5-ish miles, and probably learned more valuable lessons while struggling to keep up than I would have had the run been easy.  Most importantly for me (too often found guilty of over-training), it was another reminder that rest is key, that one day off after Barr Trail and the Incline doesn't mean I'll wake up fresh.  Taking a step back and admitting that I'm overdoing it is a challenge for me, being a diehard perfectionist, but throw a miserable run into the mix and I start to listen to my body (and my running friends who tout the benefits of rest).

I've said it in previous posts - running requires patience.  It takes years and hundreds of miles to figure out what makes a runner tick: what distances you like (and dread), whether or not to wear underwear when you run, how to fuel mid-run, how to pee in the woods somewhat discreetly.  It also takes years, at least in my case, to recognize what makes for optimal running performance, which, as hard as it is to say, often involves not running for a few days between efforts.  

I'm 23, I could have 60 years of running ahead of me, I need to teach myself not only to be a fearless runner, but also to be a smart runner.  This week I'm running on Tuesday and Thursday and racing on Saturday.  Aside from that, these muscles need some time to piece themselves back together stronger.