Believe to Achieve

Totally turned off my alarm and drifted back to sleep until 8am.  Ooops.  Finally got out there just before 10am.  Ran to PG rec center.  Mega-slushy icy run.  Doesn't help if some sidewalks were plowed because those just left a sheet of ice behind.  Too risky there and too risky a lot of times on the roads.  Lots of drivers looking down at their cell phones while passing me.  Yikes.  So I peeter to the rec center.   First mile 9:27,  oh boy this is gonna be interesting.  Second mile about the same and it wasn't as much up hill but it got way more icy and way more slushy.  Bring it on.  Just before reaching the rec center some major slush pile was covering a pool of water.  I stepped in it.  Instant air conditoning for my right foot.  So glad the temps are now in the 30s (I think) and not zero.  Got there in 28:02 (9:20 avg).  A couple of near misses (sliding, cars too close) to get my adrenaline going.  Planned 9 on TM but decided to warm up on the track for 2.  Got the 4-1-1 about the track length- some said 5 1/2 = mile.  Others said 6.  Noone said which lane.  I am sure to the uncompetitive runner it didn't matter both were miles to them.  There were about 7 old men and women walking the track the entire width so it got pretty interesting running in and out of them.  The outside lane was anyone's slow or fast, stroller or walker.  Oh well.  I just ran 12 laps in 13:46.  So that makes it 6:53 pace.  First mile was 7:07, second a 6:40.   Got on TM after drinking up.  Glad track was over because someone arrived with some wicked cologne.  Put pace at 6:58 at  1 percent (changed to .5 percent after first mile).  So ran 2 at 6:58, 2 @ 6:53 and one @ 6:35 average (ran from 6:45 to 6:11) to finish strong.  Total MP miles 7.  5 on TM, 2 on track.  2.1 mile cool down on the TM at 1 @ 7:30 to 8 pace.  Questioned the track distance so called them.  Apparently 6.3 laps is a mile (after she had to ask a few people) on the outside and 6.5 if inside.  With all my weaving probably 6.2.  Who knows.  No garmin.  Santa visits next week.  So my pace would really have been 7:24 and 6:56.  That is more realistic as it felt easy.  Can you tell I like numbers?  Ran home.  Tried to avoid the same big (now bigger) slush river and stepped right in it again.  Yay three miles with a slushy foot.  Then I decided to try some sidewalk and another hidden slush-puddle nabbed me, falling and getting my hands/mittens soaked and knee all muddy.  Not hurt.  Just miffed.  3 miles @ 8:14 pace home. Glad I added a little to my TM run so it came to 15.  Did anyone read this far?  Thanks.  PS if you want a good true story read get "Shattered Silence, the untold story of a serial killer's daughter".  I am not quite done but it is very much a can't put down kind of book.  You really feel for this girl and amazed at this demon of a dad.  He never hurt her or her siblings or ex-wife (physically at least, emotionally yes).  It is one of those "so lucky to get what I got" kind of story yet you are inspired by her strength to overcome the memories and be a strong woman, have a family and be happy.