One run won’t matter

I am deep into my training for the five half marathons in five days.  I’m beginning to hit the kind of mileage I only hit when I’m training for a marathon or back to back half marathons.

The week started off great with an unplanned 10 mile run.  Usually I run my longest run on Friday or the weekend, but the weather was AMAZING and I kept running until I ran out of light.

Next I hit up 4.7 miles on the treadmill while it snowed outside.

Then there was the slippery 6.3 miles on a cold windy day.

And another 6.2 miles on a cold but sunny day.

That left me with 6.5-8 miles to hit my goal mileage for the week, which should have been no problem.

I’ve learned how to dress for the recent weather:  knee high socks, compression shorts, fleece lined tights over those, tank top, half zip, Sugoi running jacket, fleece lined running gloves, hat, sunglasses.  I got ready, had my route planned, and knew I could get in the miles in the time I had open.

But life doesn’t always go as planned.  My stomach rebelled at 4.5 miles, necessitating a stop at home at 5.1 miles.  By the time I was finished resolving the issue, I was too chilled to go back out in 20 degree weather and Beer Geek was on the treadmill.  I considered putting on dry clothes and trying to finish.  I considered waiting for the treadmill.  I considered running the missing 3 on Sunday.

In the end, I realized something.  In the grand scheme of my training, missing those 3 miles really won’t matter.  I managed all my other goals last week:  3 days of running in a row + at least one double digit run.  I won’t look back during the half marathons and think “darn, I wish I’d run those miles”.  In fact, by the time this whole challenge is over and I’ve run more than 650 miles in training, I likely won’t even remember that run.

This week brings more miles and more challenges:  a minimum of 35 miles of running + at least 4 days of running in a row along with another cold snap from Mother Nature.

Whose bright idea was this anyway?