Last night after reading and napping most of the afternoon, Bo and I spent the evening watching one of our favorite yet often forgotten movies and enjoying thin crust pizza.

I went to bed still sniffling, coughing and fighting off tears from itchy eyes. Seven hours later I felt the same, frustrated that the medicine and a good night’s rest didn’t leave me feeling better. I texted Leticia letting her know that I was still game for a run and figured that I’d give it everything I had.

I put on a lightweight wicking outfit which I knew wouldn’t chafe or get so heavy that it drooped, like some of my summer running tanks. I packed my breakfast so I could eat it on the way to the subway station and even remembered to put a wrist band under my Garmin to protect it from sweat.

At 7am I met Leticia at 77th Street where we planned to start our run so we could enjoy the full Summer Streets route. This was actually our first time running together since she’s been sidelined due to injury the past few months. The great thing is that on a good day, we’re about the same pace. There is no awkwardness, wondering who is holding who back, and the conversation always flows easily between us. While I don’t think it’s necessarily a good thing to do every long run with someone, I am sure that we’ll make great training partners as the weeks progress.

It was already sticky and quite humid when we started but we focused on the conversation and pop-up events along Park Avenue instead of wining about the heat and humidity, which will only make us stronger and faster come Fall.

As soon as we hit about the one mile point I knew this wasn’t going to be a great run. My cold/allergies were making it hard to breathe regularly and my nose was running constantly. While my legs felt okay, the rest of my body wasn’t happy. I just felt drained; which is a clear sign that my body is using the rest of its energy to fight off illness or repair. Instead of being stupid and pushing myself too hard or holding Leticia back too much, I parted ways with her around mile 5, just short of the Brooklyn Bridge. I took a few minutes to take some water, talk with a very nice police officer who was amazed at the number of runners, and enjoy some deep breaths. I popped my headphones in and focused on Bossypants, Tina Fey’s hilarious autobiography, and zoned out for the next 32 minutes. I jogged down to the turnaround point and then back home, rounding out the run for just about 7 miles of actual running time.

When I finished, I was on the verge of tears. During the run I had the pleasure of seeing a number of my friends including Jess, Abby, Rebecca, and Meghan. They each looked happy and at ease. Seeing them and thinking about all I have going on in the next few months, made me seriously question the marathon. Is this the right year to be running my 3rd marathon? Am I going to put too much pressure on myself along with the other stressors I can’t control right now?

I went into this week, really hoping for a strong long run. In the back of my mind I have a fear about this year as I start the travel season again. This week’s cold is definitely a setback both physically and emotionally. I know there are still exactly 12 weeks until the marathon which makes me feel better and worse at the same time. Instead of making any rash decisions or letting my emotions overtake me, I’m going to listen to my motivating and ever optimistic Twitter followers and give myself until the end of the month. There are 3 more long runs between now and Labor Day, plenty of time to figure things out.

So at the end of the day, it’s true. Not every run goes as planned and the tough runs make those great ones all that much better. I’m going to invest in a new pair of shoes since it’s clearly time, work out the knots in my legs and lower back with a deep tissue massage, and focus on next week versus letting the negative thoughts get me down.

You know what’s great after a bad run? A fun afternoon in the kitchen, prepping for our Mexican Fiesta dinner party tonight!

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