Breakdown: Week 12... & I took a [mental] week off.

*yeah, it doesn't rhyme. 12 doesn't rhyme with anything useful.*

Week 12. There's not much I can say. I think I needed a mental break from all things involving running.

Monday: A nice rest day after my 14 miler. I was fine, just a little tired.

Tuesday: BROKEN! Delayed onset muscle soreness. Super pain. Ended up being another rest day.

Wednesday: I did 30 minutes on "ye ole' t-mill." It was about all I could manage after all the soreness.

Thursday: Mr. X returned after being away for a month, so I focused on his return.

Friday: Since Mr. X came in late on Thursday, we had date night on Friday. I had planned to run, but relationships come first! Good for me, I stuck to my eating regiment for an entire month right up until Friday night... so it was hard to feel badly about enjoying a nice evening out with the hubby.

Saturday: Lawn care day. I mowed less-than-half my lawn & the lawn mower broke. Again. In a fit of frustration, I yanked really hard on the starter cable. I re-potted two of my larger plants. It was a nice, relaxing day. Then I went to see Fright Night. I freaking LOVE David Tennant. And Skittles. Yes, I ate a bag of Skittles. And came home with a headache, which I attributed to sugar overdose...

Sunday: A lesser run of 8 miles. At least it should've been. But remember that lawn mower situation (& the headache I thought was from sugar)? I think I pulled a muscle in my shoulder/neck region. I've been applying Icy Hot all morning. I'm hoping it'll work itself out & I'll be able to get out & run. The weather is lovely today, so I might even be able to run outside. If not, I'm hoping to feel well enough to pop a few miles out on "ye ole' t-mill." Just to get the blood flowing. *Edit: Got 6 miles in on Sunday. T-Mill run to get the juices flowing & help get my brain back into running. Success!*

That's Week 12. I'm observing a trend: after a serious long run (i.e. 14 miles), my body definitely needs recovery time. And that's okay, so long as I figure out how to deal with it in a better fashion. I was fine Monday, but had a total mental breakdown when I woke up Tuesday & realized I was hurting. I'm sure I'd have hurt less if I'd gotten up & moved around a bit. So for Week 13, I plan to log some miles & make sure to keep moving after the long run (which will be Week 14). That marathon is right around the corner & I want to be ready for it!