Road to Joy

1 mile warm-up, 5x800 with 400 easy in between, 1 1/2 mile cool-down

800's at 3:22 (downhill), 3:38 (uphill), 3:26, 3:29, 3:30

I have felt invincible to the running blah's since I've returned to running from this last pregnancy.  The pukes, hunting down babysitters, cool weather - nothing has discouraged me.  But today when I walked outside and felt the freezing cold and thought about how I was going to have to push myself in my work-out, I was really grateful that I had my mother-in-law inside watching my kids who I want to continue to bamboozle into thinking I'm a tough girl.  It's really important to me that people think that I'm unnaturally tough and so I overplay the card quite a bit which, I'm sure, just leads folks to the correct conclusion, that I'm a bit of a pansy.  My labor nurses would be able to confirm on that one if you're one of the those that I've been able to pull the wool over on.  I did warm up eventually, kind of, by the end of the run but I don't think I'll be putting the hat and gloves aside anymore.  I was thinking that there needs to be a little loop on all winter running pants and hooks on hats and gloves so that you don't have to carry your hat in your hand once your head starts steaming up.  I think I'll make that one of my future sewing projects that never happens.  Consider it on the list.

I feel pretty good about the times I ran today.  Of course I want some vast improvement over the next six months, but I felt like I was working hard and that's mostly what I ask of myself.  Although I do wonder if I was really working as hard as I could.  One thing I want to improve on in this next marathon is my mental game.  I want to be a little less cautious than I have been about going at a harder pace.  I'm sure the speed work-outs are the place to work on my ever-conservative, pain-fearing mind.  So I'll try to keep track of my mental status on speed and hill days.  Be afraid.