Stress (physical, emotional, work, sickness, etc) and running

I have posted on this topic before.

As I also have posted, I love to run; I love the feel of any type of surface under my feet; I try to straighten my back, and with each step all my disappointments and stresses fade away. But, there are some days, where the week has just kicked me down so far, and I cannot muster the energy to lace up my shoes. This week has been one of those weeks: with a large memo due Tuesday, I was set up for a low mileage week.

Sometimes I wish I had a Phd in some useful science, eg kinesiology, or worked with professional athletes, so I could understand at a deeper level how the stress, eg from work, affects my running. (Or, in the alternative, how my previous week, etc etc affects my running). Today, for example, the weather is beautiful; the sky is blue, the air is chilled, and the trees are waiving me to come and run. But, my body is begging me otherwise. My physical self is screaming: go home after work; lie down with a book after a big comatose inducing dinner and relax. Relax all your muscles and breathe and then sleep many hours. But, there is my mind - it is a powerful unit of persuasion - you should run; it will relax you and reinvigorate you; it is beautiful outside - it torments me with "I want I want." But, my physical self is hunching over the desk and trying to concentrate on reading a case.

Then, my mind skips to my runs last week and weekend: they were easy fast jaunts on any surface and up any incline. My night running was fast and invigorating and prepared me for sleep. Not this week. My night run last night was slow and laborious. My legs were heavy; my back kept hunching over, and it was an effort to squeeze in 4 miles.

And, as the icing on the cake, I have one of my favorite races this weekend, and I was hoping for my usual age prize, but this year, I hope to finish with a reputable time. Ugh to life interfering with my favorite activity...