I just got back from the run I needed to do. It was a bit over 4 miles. I ran, stretched momentarily, took out the trash and the recycling, grabbled a bowl of cereal and some orange juice and then sat down at the computer. On my long runs a lot of times I've begun to think what I will write about when I get back to the computer. Of course, what I was thinking about at mile 6 has usually long since disappeared by the time I've run 10 more miles, stretched, showered, eaten and gotten along with my daily business.

Today I wanted to sit down almost immediately in order to relay the discomfort that existed while on this run. In addition to my rib flaring with pain, my right hip and my left knee were bothering me as well. The 4 miles did not feel great, but they didn't kill me either. In fact, I don't believe that I feel any worse now than I would have had I not run. So I'm faced with a bit of a dilemma. My daily runs are supposed to be a reprieve from the grind of daily life. They are supposed to be enjoyable and invigorating. If my body is aching while I run, is it going to help or hinder?

I'm still convinced that the release of the endorphins that occurs while running, even if masked by a tad bit of pain, is more beneficial to me than not running would be.

That said, I did 4.21 miles at a 7:39 minute/mile pace for a total of 32:18 time logged and 523 Calories burned.