A breath of fresh air

Will and I ran the first three with Jade.  Well, we skated the first three miles together.  Pretty much everything was still ice from the freezing rain Saturday.  In fact, church was cancelled yesterday because of all the ice.

Twice Jade and I had to stop and lift Will and the jogging stroller:  the first time was over a frozen mountain of ice blocking the sidewalk at an intersection and the other was over a huge fallen tree.  At the beginning of the run we had to stop and start a lot because shoveled ice blocked the sidewalk.  In the middle of the run we decided to run a loop, instead of an out and back course.  We made our decision based on all the mounds of ice we had to stop and climb over with the jogging stroller.  But, I don't know if it was the best decision because 1) we ran into the fallen tree.  2) going down one of the hills, for a moment I didn't know if I was going to stop.  I could even see Will and I sliding down into the large ditch.  3) going up one of the hills, for a moment I didn't know if I was going to make it up the hill.  Will and I were sliding backward.  I am very grateful Jade was there.

For the next three miles, Will and I chose a different route.  A better plowed route.  Will and I still had some excitement.  Going down another hill, I stopped moving my legs and our momentum carried us.  I decided to move to the grass which was still ice, but my weight broke through the ice enough to have some grip.

I don't think I should look into professional ice skating.

Jade and I went skating again.  There were more stretches of running today than yesterday.  I ran the last mile by myself and was able to get up to a good clip.  Tonight it's suppse to snow on top of all the ice.

Will stayed home with his dad.  He woke up today with a temperature and a runny nose.

I bundled Will more than I ever have.  The temperature was 25 degrees and the wind chill was 18.  I felt very slow and very achey, but we made it.  Will enjoyed the ride.

It snowed the entire run.  Traction wasn't a problem.  Everyonce and a while I knocked the snow off of the jogging stroller's rain cover, so Will could see.  Actually, I don't think he could see much because the cover was fogging up.  We heard lots of sirens and saw a few cars sliding.  On the way back home, I could barely see our tracks.

Will and I got out just before sunset.  I've heard that Iowa winters are suppose to make you tougher, but I am feeling weaker and weaker.  I feel down right slow.

I went out by myself I was thinking about doing a tempo run, but I didn't have the energy.  I haven't gotten much sleep lately.  I'm still trying to get Christmas presents finished.  Sew. Sew. Sew.  I am having a lot of fun working on them.  And I am pretty sure I am getting a cold.

Tired of the sidewalk routes, I decided to run on the trail.  It wasn't plowed at all, but I was ready for a change of scenery.  Running through the woods was beautiful.  The river was amazing with the unfrozen water snaking through the ice--just like a painting.  I didn't enjoy the winter wonderland as much as I normally would.  Running on the snow is hard work.  Most of the other tracks I saw was that from cross country skies.

The temperature was 14 degrees and the wind chill was 3 degrees.  I was so glad when the run was over.

I definitely made my goal of 26 miles this week.  I don't feel very confident that I can get in 30 miles every week to get 120 a month.  I am going to adjust my goal from 120 miles per month for December, January, and February to 100 miles per month.  I don't feel as stressed with 100 miles per month.  And it will be tons more mileage than last winter when I ran between 14 and 18 miles a week.