GOOD RUN, BAD CHEESE

I actually stopped briefly on my run to take this picture!

A couple weeks ago I had one of those "why do I even do this" runs where I was not enjoying myself. Yesterday, I had the exact opposite type of run. I set out to take it easy because of still feeling a little worn from my race Sunday and then group run on Monday. After a really slow first mile (9:40) my body warmed up and I was feeling on top of the world. I ended up averaging 8:30s over the last four miles of my five mile run.

I decided to freestyle a run because I really wanted to run about 5.14 miles to hit 12 total before my long run on Saturday. I ran 6.86 on Monday, so being that I am anal, I needed to run at least 5.14 to get to 12.0 before I would be happy with my running for that week. I really wasn't feeling that same damn 10k again, so I decided since I'd have to modify that anyways to shorten it (I didn't want to go much over 5.14 to make sure I continue to recover) so why not just 'freestyle' a route from my house.

So I went through the powerline parks that were only an option on weekends before daylight savings time and then just kind of wandered my way home. I needed to hit 5.14 and you know how far my freestyle took me? 5.16. About 2.5 miles in I plotted the rest of my run and as soon as I was done running it, literally I hit the corner I told myself I was going to stop because the rest of the run would just be up a giant hill, and I looked at my phone. 5.16 miles. Nailed it! Stupid thing to be excited about, but that was kind of exciting! Hey, us runners need to do whatever it takes.

Thomas is pretty good at freestyling distance.
Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

The only bad part about this run, which I was loving for some reason, was that I was congested. I just got over my sickness from Las Vegas and now I am congested again. And you know what did it? Cheese. I swear. I was in the breakroom at work and there was a package of pepperjack cheese in there. It had been in there a while, but it looked fine. So I took a slice. Well, one end tasted great, but the other end was starting to turn. I smelled it and it was off. I figured cheese was just mold anyways though, so being the pig that I am, I shoved the rest of the piece in my mouth. It tasted like a sweaty gym sock.

Instantly my throat started feeling funny. Like a sore throat was coming on. The next day it felt the same (Wednesday). And then, when I woke up on Thursday, full out congestion in my head and weird feeling throat. Ugh. It's stupid to think the cheese did that, but honestly, I don't know what else could. I haven't heard of bad cheese causing this though! Whatever. I'm feeling better today so hopefully it was just a short blip. My lungs felt fine last night despite this too, so it's nothing too serious.

Ten mile long run this weekend.  Then shoot for 12 or 13.1 the next, 8 or 9 the weekend after that as part of a "mini taper" for the Corvallis Half Marathon the following weekend.