5 miles easy at 8:11 pace I think. My mother-in-law has been trying to make me wear a scarf on my last couple of runs because I've had a sore throat and I think she doesn't want me to go completely south and have to be in charge of the kiddos for longer than her daily hour (I think this is the appropriate time to mention that I really do have one of the best mother-in-laws EVER). When she tied it around my neck on Saturday I went outside, stretched, took the scarf off and put it on the bumper of my car so I'd remember to pick it up when I got back, and went running. For some reason today I didn't take it off - I think it was curiosity to see if anything positive really could come from a strangling piece of cloth around the neck - scarfs are a foreign piece of clothing for this gal. And it was actually nice. I pulled the scarf up over my mouth and nose for a mile or two of the run when my face got particularly frozen and it was a sweet, warm relief if slightly suffocating. It reminded me of running in a gas mask in my old Army ROTC days - its a great way to get one-hundred percent focused on how you breath. So I guess for this entry I'm officially endorsing the scarf. I'll be right here waiting to be paid my millions by scarf-makers.
29 days 'til the husband. I wish I knew how many days until the inversion is over!!
OK, so I guess I wasn't too serious about feeling guilty for using the treadmill for my speed work-outs. Well, closer to the truth, I'm not strong enough to overcome my desire to use the treadmill for my speed work-outs. Today I did a 1 1/2 mile warm-up, 6x800 with an easy 400 between and then a mile cool-down all on the treadmill. It really was snowing pretty good outside and would've been pretty slippery to run on...really it would have been really, really hard...super hard...i'm a wimp! Anyhow, I did the 800's at 3:15. The first few steps at the 3:15 pace each time made me feel a little panicky and then it eased in and wasn't as bad as I was imagining it would be on my way over.
I was kind of glad to have to drive over to the gym anyway. Aaron Burr has finally killed Alexander Hamilton on my book on tape. I've got to take the book back to the library tomorrow and I was afraid I wouldn't even get through the duel. Nothing like killing two birds with one stone - I mean running and finishing a book. 29 days until the husband comes home (his leave date was pushed back just a smidgen - I can deal with smidgens).
This was a happy run. It was snowing big, peaceful flakes and the big, peaceful flakes were landing lightly on mounds of already settled flakes. It was like running through Robert Frost's snowy wood on an evening. My feet made first tracks on the sidewalks. First tracks make me feel like an explorer - nobody had ever touched that snow before - I was the first. I slipped once on the snow and landed right on my backside and out came a giggle. I felt like a little kid playing in the snow for the first time of the winter. Yeah - anyhow - I liked it. It was a slow, but I had a down-right pleasant time of it.
Just your average everyday run. I did try to go up a couple of steep, long hills just so that I felt like I did something special on two of my runs this week. It keeps me from getting too casual I think. There has been lots of family at my in-law's house this week so the childcare has been super-simple. My 12 and 10 year old nieces entertain my baby the whole time, my 4 1/2 year old nephew tolerates my 3 year old beating up on him with swords and my almost 2 year old runs around trying to get all of them to tell her how cute she is. My kids don't even know I'm gone. I could really live like this.
I ran out at my sister's today. The first couple of miles stunk, but then I hit my groove and felt awfully good until mile 9 or 10. I ran at an 8:15 average and it felt decent. I thought I might be sore for the day, but after walking around shopping I feel much better.
Lest you think I'm a "shopper." This was the first shopping trip post-baby that I've done. I'm desperate for more than one skirt to wear to church now that the baby weight is disappearing into 14 mile runs. It took me two hours but I found me one church outfit. My sister was even watching my kids so I don't have that excuse for being slowed down. Shopping is so darned hard. But I've got motivation. The husband comes home in about 26 days now. yipee.