Medium Long Run and Another Dedication Comment

Tonight I ran a medium long run (13 miles). Due to a family commitment, I wasn't able to start my run until 6:40 p.m., which is about when it starts to get pretty dark around here this time of year. The good news is that this run was a good statement about my current level of dedication. Not all that long ago, a late start would have been a good reason to skip a run (after all missing one run won't hurt anything). However, tonight I never even considered not running. The bad news is that I'm not sure how I'll be able to get in my tempo runs and other speed workouts after daylight savings time ends. Tonight I wasn't able to run much faster than a easy run pace. In the dark, I can't see where I'm stepping and I worry too much about tripping or turning an ankle to run fast. I guess I'll have to get in the routine of running at lunch. I can take a two hour lunch a couple of times a week, so any run up to ten miles is possible. I guess what I should do is use the next couple of lunchtime recovery runs to find a better route to run at work.

The worse news is that my lower abs/groin area is pretty sore today after running hard last night. It's not too bad, and I can still run. I'm icing it as I sit here typing. I think what I'll need to do is make sure I keep up the icing, even when it's feeling okay. I don't have anymore fast runs scheduled until next week, so I'm not worried about long-term effects. I just need to recognize that it's tender and be smarter about taking care of it.