This evening I went to write today’s journal entry in my copy of the 2012 Runner’s Almanac and realized that today’s quote was quite appropriate.

“Pain Is Temporary. Quitting is Forever.”
    –Lance Armstrong

I drove down with some friends the GAC Fat Ass 50k this morning with the intention of running all 5 loops. Given the beautiful weather, it almost seemed a crime not to.

It was a lot of fun, despite the lack of anything even resembling snow (at least once it warmed up a little we got some mud to run through) and there were a lot more people than I expected.

Running in a singlet in January in New England somehow seems wrong, but it’s a fun loop and a good group of folks that come out to run.

I was running at a good clip for almost 3 loops when I started to feel a small twinge in my achilles. Not enough that would stop me during a race or even a workout if I were training for something, but enough to make me notice it and consider whether I should continue on for a fourth loop or not given that I’m running another marathon next weekend and I don’t want to risk getting hurt for it.

I decided that it was better to be smart than to have fun and take risks since I had nothing to prove today, but it was a hard decision. The decision did have one benefit in that I had a ride at that point and was able to reclaim a few hours of my day and my afternoon was quite productive, but it was so nice out that it still seems a shame to have stopped.

Hopefully I can get back next year and do a proper job of running all 5 loops.