#$%*!@! Long run.

Worst. Run. Ever.  Honestly, today's run was one of those that made me wonder why, again, am I doing this to myself?  I woke up plenty early - 4:45am.  I had something small to eat and drink and started getting ready.  By 5:25 I was out the door, but right from the beginning something didn't feel right in my legs.  When I was still feeling sluggish and stiff by mile 3, I decided that I would start taking regular walking breaks early and often in this run, or I knew I might not make it the whole 18 miles.  I made it to mile 8 taking a short walking break every 2 miles or so, and right as I was at mile 8.25 I had reached the region patrol office for ISP, and Chris just happened to be heading in to work right then.  As he passed by me and stopped to check on me, I asked if he would let me in to the office so I could use the bathroom.  After a quick pit-stop, I was back on the road and headed back toward home.  Originally my plan was to go out 9 miles and then turn around and go back, but I decided to just start back towards home at that point (around 8.28 miles) even though I knew it would cut my run short at the end and I would have to make it up somehow.  I was feeling so much pain in my legs and feet that I just wanted to be closer to home.  The rest of the way back home was kind of a blur.  I did a walk/run thing, and it seemed to take forever.  My foot was throbbing with every step, my hamstrings on both legs were so tight that they were twitching, my calves were cramping, I could feel two blisters getting worse and worse on one foot and to top it all off, I had a new, searing pain in my left knee that would worsen with every step as I ran.

On the plus side, I was able to make it 17.28 miles in under 3 hours and 50 minutes, the sun was shining and at least I was out enjoying the beautiful weather, though I can't say I enjoyed my run.  I'm not sure what I did or didn't do to make things take such a turn for the worse.  After all, I was supposed to be all rested and ready for today's run after an "easy" week.  Who knows, I always have good runs and bad runs, as do most runners, I'm sure, but today's just felt especially bad.  Sucks that it was on one of my longest runs because I really wanted to finish my 18 feeling strong.  Should be interesting to see how my recovery goes.  Right now I feel like I can barely walk.