A Tale of Two Runs

How to have a bad run:

1. Wake up to the alarm at 6 AM, still feeling like crap, about 40 hours into a 60-hour week.
2. Skip breakfast, make it up by drinking black coffee until noon. Get good and dehydrated.
3. Work through lunch.
4. After a long and frustrating day, grudgingly set out for practice with team at 4 PM, in 85+ degree weather and high humidity.
5. Covered in sweat in the first mile. Check the watch at mile 1, nearly 9 minutes. Realize this run is shot already. Fight the urge to give it up and limp home.
6. At 1.5 miles, turn around. 3 will be a minimally-acceptable day for the log.
7. Take some small satisfaction that I didn't bail out entirely or walk today.

How to have a good run:

1. Wake up at 8:30, no alarm, fully rested.
2. Have a good breakfast, and leisurely read the news for an hour.
3. Leave the house at 10 AM, 65 degrees, no humidity.
4. No sweat, no worries. Check the watch at mile 1. An effortless 8:15.
5. At the end of a 3-mile loop (still at effortless 8:15's), decide to do one more on account of the weather. Tack on at the end to round out 50 minutes. Logging 6 qualifies as a "long" run these days.
6. Feel great the rest of the day, including the satisfaction of the run plus the vague heavy-leg feeling that almost guarantees a great night's sleep.

Today was day #2. I wish every day could be like this!