what is it about the short runs?

I just got in from my 5mi run this morning. Got up at 5am to begin preparations. Icing my knees and angling my foot to avoid putting pressure on the blisters now. :/

There's something unusual that happens in my mind when I know I have to run 3 miles vs. 5+ miles. When I have to go for a "short" run, I huff and puff and can hardly move my legs the entire time. Then I plop down on the couch to recover. When I go for a long run, (alone or with Beckyl :) my body is usually wide awake, pumped, and ready to go farther from the start. I always feel pretty great after the long ones.

I guess it's not a bad thing. I just wish I could be better prepared. The short runs are just as important and I don't want to struggle to the finish line because I was wimpy during half of my runs. My time is very consistent ~12:30min/mi +/- 15sec, so the struggle may not be evident (yet), but my body and my mind tell a very different story.

This morning was a great run. I love seeing God in everything - the mountains, the breezes, the plants, the animals, the people I pass. Today I was a little emotional, tearing up every now and then, just thinking about how unbelievable God is. It hardly felt like running - kinda like those dreams when you're running in slow-motion, but covering a lot of ground. I must've been delusional, though, because I was not any faster than normal. :P And even though my knees ache a little and I'll be hobbling around at work today, it still was a great run. I wish they were all like this.