Running on empty

After not being able to run since last Sunday, I made it my mission today to do some kind of run. I found it hard mentally to get myself ready today. I'm still battling a cough and my lungs are congested, not a good sign for a runner. Oxygen is the key to running and when that becomes compromised, it usually adds up to trouble.

My legs actually felt stronger than I thought. Then again, it could have been the fact that I I've lost a few pounds during this week. I had no idea how far or long to run today. Instead, my focus was just trying to get my rhythm back and regain some of my strength. Because of my lack of appetite, my fuel systems have been running on empty for most of the week. I think I've seen enough soup cans to last me a lifetime but I haven't really had the desire to eat much more than that.
Not only does running require the ability to produce oxygen, it needs to have a constant supply of glucose ready for the muscles. I seemed to be lacking in both of these today.

I ran my favorite route today and decided to push myself a little bit, which was probably a mistake. Instead of cutting the route short, I did the whole thing and by the end I knew that I would be hurting. When I arrived home I had a very hard time catching my breath and was coughing for at least the first 5 minutes afterwards. Despite that, though, I'm glad that I was able to make it out today. It made me appreciate even more the importance of health. Running on empty is something that I can do if needed but running on "full" is much more enjoyable.