More Running in the Snow

Whooooooo’s at work with me today? Anyone? If you’re not, I hate you. Actually, it’s kind of alright since I haven’t been to the office since last Wednesday… thanks snow. My roommate and I were suffering from serious cabin fever on Friday afternoon, and it ended up being a pretty nice day, so we took Madison for a walk to the dog park, and she had ALL THE FUN.

Madison found all of the puddles at the dog park, and decided to completely submerge herself in them. Multiple times, and then she would look at the other dogs like “HEY, why aren’t you guys doing this too?!” She’s such a weirdo.

The dog park is actually right in the middle of my usual running route, so I knew the bike path was clear for my long run Saturday. When I woke up though, it was snowing again. Grr. Not hard enough to actually stick, but enough that I procrastinated for a good two hours before finally getting out the door.

While the bike path was nice and clear, there was a lot of hurdling over snow drifts and shuffling on some icy sidewalks until I hit the trail. It ended up being a pretty nice run though, really quiet not a lot of other people out, until mile 4 when the snow turned into a snow/sleet mix. Motivation to haul ass and get home faster. I also really need to figure out how to not end EVERY RUN with the wind in my face and running uphill. Oh well, making me stronger I guess?

February 15:
Mile 1: 9:35
Mile 2: 9:11
Mile 3: 9:07
Mile 4: 9:18
Mile 5: 9:15
Mile 6: 9:08

There’s the elevation chart, and now it makes sense why the middle miles always feel so good, haha. My calves and hips are super tight today, so I see some foam rolling and extreme stretching in my future. Happy Monday kids.

On Winter Running

Happy Friday, ya punks! Who has a long run scheduled for this weekend? I doooo, tomorrow to be precise, and I have to be done, showered, and ready to leave for a day at the winery by 11:30 am. Ouch. I have somewhere between 4-5 miles on the schedule, which means I need to be out my door by like 8:45-9, woof. Plus side; the high tomorrow is 50, so it won’t be absolutely freezing at that time of the morning. Just a little bit freezing.

However, I’m kind of digging this whole winter running nonsense. Sure it’s cold, but only for a little bit in the beginning, and then it’s kind of nice. I like looking at the snow and ice, and I really like not sweating my face off and struggling to breathe in the DC summer humidity. Oh, and the best part of course is no chaffing! I really don’t miss hopping in the shower after a long run and cringing in pain as the water hits some area of my body that unbeknownst to me, has been completely rubbed raw. Anyway, so yeah I’m acclimating to this winter running stuff, and it ain’t so bad.

Yesterday afternoon I hit the trails for 3.5 miles. It was sunny and 33, which felt amazing, and I was peeling off layers almost immediately. I lost my gloves after .5 mile and my headband after 2, and probably didn’t need two long sleeve shirts. I was really making an effort to keep yesterdays run at an “easy” pace, so I’d feel good for tomorrow. I was hoping to stay around a 9:10 pace, but every time I looked down at my watch I was running sub 9. Oops, I really need to work on my pacing efforts. The bike path was still all covered in snow and ice and looking pretty, so I took some time to appreciate it once I finished running.

January 30: 3.5 Miles

Impulses

Yesterday it was fan-fucking-tastic outside.  Today, we’re apparently going to break records with the temperatures and with a high of 76 for our Saturday St. Patty’s party I couldn’t be happier.  Around noon yesterday, I dragged my stuffy and coughing self, along with my laptop and lunch outside to some picnic tables located relatively close to the building and prayed the wireless would reach.  It did, and I spent the next two hours outside working, while simultaneously wishing my laptop battery would last forever.  I’m pretty sure the backs of my shoulders got some color, and the sun definitely made me feel less like I was dying.  One more pic of yesterday’s colorful ensemble.

gratuitous picture of my outfit Thursday

As you can see above, I’m in the gym locker room, which means I did some measly workout yesterday.  Holy god are my legs sore from a combo of yoga and the strength class.  I suffered through 40 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minutes on the treadmill before driving home with my sunroof and windows wide open.

So, on Tuesday night I went grocery shopping post work and work-out which meant I was absolutely starving once I got there.  This usually bodes horribly for both my credit card and nutrition because I impulsively throw things like three frozen pizzas, bags of chips and other junk into my shopping cart.  I exercised a good amount of restraint this week and only bought one frozen pizza, and a bag of cheddar and sour cream Cape Cod chips, but somehow this also found its way into my goods.

Um, say what?  It looked easy and convenient, much like my guy roommate I once dated in college, and so when I arrived home last night I used it on some chicken.  Luckily this impulse buy ended much better than that relationship and my chicken was delicious.  Although I didn’t end up using all the mixture, so if I end up buying this again I probably won’t dump the chicken in the bag but sprinkle some on a plate to preserve the rest.

With a side of ravioli and peas for a well-rounded carby and delicious meal.  I rounded out my evening by having anxiety attacks during One Tree Hill and laughing  my ass off at Happy Endings.  If you’re not watching OTH this season, you should be.

Also, I’m actually going to a real doctor today.  If he can’t help me I’m calling it quits and giving up on the prospect of ever feeling better again. Happy Thursday, we’ve almost made it.