Ok, so maybe I noticed the wind in lubbock whilst trying to carry presentation kites boards from the commuter lot to the architecture building.

And maybe I noticed the lack of hills in Lubbock whilst driving in a westerly or easterly direction at sunset or sunrise (respectively).

But, never have I been so opposed to them as now while training for a marathon. I was very proud of myself last week for accomplishing a personal best of 8 miles without stopping.  Not only that, but I finished it in about 9:30 minutes/mile…which for me is freakin’ awesome for a long run. So perhaps it was really just pride this past Sunday when after only 2 miles of running headfirst into 20 mph winds that my body decided it had enough. I gave in. I walked. Shoulders slumped, jaw dropped panting for air, starring at the pavement – walking. Ok, so maybe it wasn’t that bad that I had to walk…but the fact that it was after only 2 miles…when I was intending on going a full 8.  Kind of a letdown.

So despite the debbie-downerness of it all, I mustered up my strength, ignored the pain in my legs, and wiped away the salty sweat dripping into my eyes and started up again. (After all, at this point I was, well, 2 miles away from my house and didn’t feel like walking all the way back.) Fortunately, going back meant that I now had the glorious wind at my back. This also meant that I had the glorious hills to climb up.

-side note-
It really was a fair trade-off.  Going downhill into the wind, and uphill with the wind at my back.  But this is not about logistics…this is about excuses.
-end side note-

By the time I made it back to the house, my legs just felt like a mushy mess dangling from my hips.  My cool-old-man headband no longer functioned as a dam to hold sweat, but rather a heavy sponge that my neck strained to hold up. I quickly grabbed my water bottle that I had stashed in the mailbox. Mind you, this was supposed to be used for the halfway point in my run, but now served as the end of the run drink. I took a few hundred sips and went inside.

Looking back, I’m still trying to figure out the root of the unfinished run.  The possibilities and conclusions as I see them:
The Wind – Could be seen as an advantage. Some people are crazy enough to artificially create wind with jogging parachutes and whatnot.
The Hills – (The landscape that is…not the tv show (although that certainly would be a distraction)). Again…could really be an advantage. Even though it was hard, my legs should be stronger for the next time.
The Pepperoni Rolls – Did I forget to mention my diet of greasy-fatty-bad carb goodness the night before?  Also suspect.
Pride – It could have been my own assumption of awesomeness after running 8 miles the week before when really my body just needed a good rest.

Most likely?
Just a bad day –  Everyone has days where they’re off.  Nonetheless, just because I stopped during the run, doesn’t mean I’ve stopped the training. I’ve still got 7 months to get there.  Little stops are good for reflection and reality checks to see how things are going. I’m going to rest tonight, and get back out there tomorrow.  The next challenge? Apparently it’s running in thunderstorms…