A hard run

For one of my supporting goals of my resolutions, I'm aiming to run a 5K under 40 minutes. I ran locally in the streets today and ugh, I was dying. My time wasn't terrible:

But I felt like I was gasping from the get-go and my legs felt like I was shuffling lead.  At one point, I'm shuffling up a hill and gasping so loudly that I can hear myself above the music in my headphones.  I pass a lovely human blonde gazelle as she was running down the hill, her golden ponytail bouncing joyfully above her headband that covered her ears.  She gave me a smile that was a mix of sympathy and encouragement like one gives 4-year-olds when they exclaim they are going to win the Olympics in mud-pie-making.  I tried to reciprocate with a smile but I'm sure it was just a desperate grimace of agony.

Ugh, kind of need to improve by the time of the 5K on February 14th, since it will be a trail run and I'll have to worry about not tripping over sticks and stones and slipping in mud patches on top of the hills and distance.  Fingers crossed...