Short changed

Pre-workout eats: Whole-wheat toast with peanut butter and sliced banana
Workout: Ran 3.12 miles; average pace, 9:15.

I hadn't broke a sweat. Not in three days. It was bugging me. I needed to feel my heart beat through my chest, to feel my breath become labored, to feel like I was working.

I needed to run.

Mark and I set out to do 4 miles this morning (my yoga class is over lunch) in a brisk 18 degrees. It took no time to feel the air in my lungs, my body working. It felt good.

For the first mile.

But as I paused at the 1.5 mile mark to catch my breath, Mark suggested we cut the run short - from 4 miles to 2.5 - as he was having trouble breathing as well. I compromised at 3, suggesting another loop of the park. As we set off again, though, the cold air burned in my chest and I had a feeling Mark was onto something. It was time to head home.

The run didn't get any easier from there, at least physically. Mentally, I knew we were in the homestretch. I did try to pick it up - as if to compensate for the lack of distance - but dodgy sidewalks didn't make it easy on me. So as I passed our house at 2.68 miles, I decided to run around the block for a 5K.

I came back home to an exuberant Denali and a pull-up lovin' Mark. I hooked up the Garmin and wiped my brow. I peeled off the layers and felt the wet of perspiration. I took a deep breath and I realized that I might not have ran 4 miles but I did do what I set out to do.

What goal did you meet today?