Punk, Pain, and PR.

I've had two pretty rotten running days in a row now and I'm starting to get frustrated. It doesn't make me want to quit, it actually makes me want to get out there and run again so I can try to beat whatever it is that's holding me back. I hate losing (which is why I don't compete a lot), and right now I feel like I'm losing a battle with myself and the clock. It's getting hotter, and I know that I'm going to slow down a bit once it starts getting into the 80's and 90's during my running time, so I'd like to start out around 10min/mile before that happens. Yesterday's run averaged 13.06/mile and today's was 12.59/mile. I improved a few seconds today, but it was painful, and I was literally about to collapse when the lady (I'm using the Nike+ GPS app) on the app told me I had reached my distance for the day. Since I quit following C25K I'm trying to run a mile every day. Sometime mid-week I'll add on another .25 and do that for a week or two. As it stands now, though, I'm so determined to break out of this funk that I might keep with the 1 mile runs for a few extra days just to try to beat it.

My knees were bothering me A LOT today, and it worries me about adding distance. I want this so badly, and I'd really hate for my body to screw that up for me. I've heard that for every pound you lose, you take 3 pounds of stress off of your knees (Dr Oz was my source here, and he's a bit crazy, so take that for what it's worth). Since the last time I tried running (Fall of 2010), I've taken 20 pounds off. With 60 pounds less stress on my knees, WHY does it still hurt?? In addition to that, this week saw the end of a situation that had brought a lot of joy to my life in recent weeks, and it ended in a very painful way. I'm not letting it stand in the way of my long-term happiness, but it bears mentioning that I haven't been on my A-game the past few days to begin with.

So I'm keeping my chin up, pushing through, running through the pain, and all those good cliches. CMR will be an instant PR for me anyway since it's my first race (and, as I said before, it's not a PR race anyway), so I'm just going to keep on keepin' on until I either fall apart or make it. I'd like to come in around 35 minutes for my first real 5k, and I'm not taking my eyes off of that goal.

Today's Stats:
Distance: 1.02 mi
Average Speed: 12.59 per mile
Weight: OCD people should not own scales, therefore I don't have one. I haven't gained, though.
Music Choice: Punk Goes Crunk (Forever the Sickest Kids, Lorene Drive, The Escape Frame, and Person L, to be specific.)

...and speaking of Punk, this Hit the Lights t-shirt is my new favorite running shirt. It was Wil's, and it's a Youth L. I couldn't fit into this shirt a couple of months ago. It says, "Get Over Yourself." I've said that to myself, to others, and about others enough in the past few months, that this might be my new mantra.