A good solid four miles.

Last night's run was good. It felt awesome to get myself back on the treadmill, and to really nail a run.

I hadn't been feeling very good before the run, so it meant a lot that I got myself to do the run at all. I was totally stressed out from work, and I wasn't able to make time to run until late (after 8:00.) Sometime after I got home from work my right shoulder and neck started bothering me. It felt like all the usual excuses were piling up, but I really did not want to miss another run. Missing this run would have meant missing my weekly milage goal for the Winter Miles Challenge, and putting me further off my half marathon training.

I had four miles on the schedule, and negotiated with myself that I would try for four, but if I only did three that would be fine. I just needed to get on the treadmill and get a run in.

I'm back to watching Arrow while I run, and while I'm still not really into the show, it's showing some promise (and I keep hearing that it gets really good, so I'm holding out hope.)

I set the pace at a comfortably slow level, and just kinda relaxed into the run. Honestly I didn't feel like I was working too hard until the last mile and a half. For some reason, right around 2.5 miles I hit a wall. I'm thinking it was mostly mental, because I was able to push myself through it, and felt alright again until the last half mile. I really had to push to finish out that last half mile. I was so ready to be done with the run. I did make it to four miles though, which makes me feel good.

The run felt really cathartic too. I was able to give myself a break from some serious stress that's been dumped into my life lately, both from a situation at work and from some issues with my daughters day care (nothing that puts her in danger, just stuff that makes me uncomfortable.) When I hit those walls at 2.5 miles and with 1/2 mile to go, I poured all of my frustration and stress from those situations into my run, pumped the speed momentarily, and just pounded it all out. By the end of the run, I was covered in sweat, and feeling a million times lighter.

My shoulder/neck wasn't bothering me too much while I ran, but oh my as soon as I got downstairs to stretch out did it let me know it was still an issue. I tried stretching, I tried foam rolling, and I tried Advil. I most likely should have gotten out the heat pad, but by then it was time for bed, so I just tried to sleep it off.

Obviously, since I'm still talking about it, sleeping it off didn't work. This morning I'm trying really hard not to wear my right shoulder as an earring. I've taken Advil, and I'm wishing I had a heat pad at work. I'm lucky today is a rest day, I may try some yoga later to loosen it up. It really didn't affect my run, but it sure affects my motivation to run.