A breath of fresh air

Saturday night's freezing rain left a very thick layer of ice and Sunday's blizzard left four inches of snow.  It took a half an hour to clear off the car, so it was safe to drive.  My fingers were so cold in my gloves.  It was 7 degrees, but the wind chill was -14.  Will and I were on our way to the indoor track.  We drove very slowly.  Our tires spun a bit here and there, but we made it safely there and back.

The run went well.  I think they reverse direction every week.  We were turning right today which is harder on me because the jogging stroller veers to the left.  But, all in all, the run was relaxing--very comfortable pace.  Although my hamstrings were tight, the six strides went well.  I felt strong.  Will did well also.  He ate a roll that I made yesterday, copied the motions of the group of girls doing crunches (he put his hands on either side of his head, had his elbows out, and would bend forward), and said "hi" to most of the runners we passed.

After the run, I needed to use restroom.  Will got to run down the straight-a-way on our way to and from the restroom.  He ran right down the middle of the outside lane.  He was so happy to be on the track with all the other runners.  What a cute guy.

Ice.  Still lots of Ice.  There was one mile stretch where I just shuffled and skated--no running.  Fortunately, I only fell once.  My knees got the worst of it.  Bruises, nothing big.  I was grateful every time the ice was dusted with snow or there was a bit of pavement peaking through.

The temperature was -7 degrees when Will and I went to run.  The wind chill was -24!  Fortunately, Will and I were heading to the indoor track. 

During the first stide, my legs were a little stiff.  The other five felt great.  I love blowing by other runners on the track, only for them to pass me again once the stride is over.  It makes for a fun game and passes the time.  And the laps did pass quickly today.  Before I knew it, Will and I were back in the car.

Still slick outside.  I slipped a lot, but didn't fall.  Yeah!  Once I got to the marked trail, there was enough sand on the ice for a tempo run.  My quarters ranged from 1:58 to 2:11 and the faster quarters came during the most cleared stretch of the trail.  Here are my splits.

8:26--very stiff from the leg workout I did with my sister yesterday

8:22--felt much better this mile

8:18--still had energy for one more mile

8:21--tried to enjoy it

So, 33:27!  Not bad for slick ground and being a bit stiff. 

Today I figured I had two options.  1) Very wet feet.  or  2) More bruises.  I was tired of slipping and wanted to do six strides, so I favored the slush over the ice.  My socks and shoes were pretty soaked.

My right hip is bothering me again.  However, once I was warmed up it felt fine.

Not very enjoyable today.  My plan was to run to a new marked trail three miles away, run a mile on the trail, run a four mile tempo run on that one mile stretch, and then run the four miles home.  Only the first three and last three miles went according to plan.  Three quarters into the marked trail there was CONSTRUCTION!  I had to run across the river and down a couple sets of stairs a few times to find where the trail picked up again.  Then there were a few traffic lights.  When things settled down, I still didn't want to start a tempo run.  After at least three miles on the trail and my construction detour, I decided to turn around and make an attempt at a tempo run.  I know my first mile split 8:31.   I couldn't keep track of any other splits because of the construction, stairs, and lights.  I finished the 2.75 miles in just over 25 minutes.  I tried to keep the pace quick, but comfortable.  There was still a lot of ice and slush.  My feet were soaked again when I got back.  My body felt exhausted and achy.  My hip doesn't feel good.  Hopefully my body will feel better on Monday.