Believe to Achieve

stop WATCH run.  Garmin low battery.  3 MILE TIME TRIAL.  Forgot I was going to do this when I awoke so I had to switch gears and NOT go to the rec. and bundle up for the outdoors.  I have to say that I thought I remember the weather report saying it would be in the 30s at night.  APPARENTLY I was reading the weather for St. George (southern Utah).  I was completely taken by the EXTENT of the COLDNESS/FROZEN TUNDRA FEELING.  YIKES.  Two layers and tights, headband and gloves was NOT enough at first or for any part of the run but perhaps the last three laps on the track when I felt it was safe for my hands to lose the gloves--ONE at first and the other two laps later.  My hands were so cold they could barely push the LAP BUTTON on my stop watch.  BUT still I didn't peek at my watch until I accidentally saw the time when I was pushing up my sleeve on the last 1.5 laps.  It read 17:09.  I was trying to do the math and figured it would be close.  BUT honestly my problem was ANXIETY.  I didn't know how well I was doing the first 10 laps but I felt like for sure I was close to that PR but then the UNexpected TRACK trauma came on.  Two women entered the track and began picking up the fence door that fell and they began to worry me that they were going to hop right in FRONT of me and I just lost concentration for a moment feeling weird "RACING" in front of strangers when I had 3 laps to go as I passed them at the track entrance.  I wanted to yell out "don't get in my way please.  I don't want to exert more energy trying to pass you.  I only have three laps left.  PLEASE."  When I got to my last lap I peaked again at my watch and I didn't quite get the math down in my head about how fast I needed to go.  I just ran as hard as I could in the FREEZING air and passed the girls on the final stretch as they took off  quite a ways in front of me before my last lap.  I felt slightly nauseated the last 50 feet but other than that my legs felt great despite the fact that I could tell that they were stiff from the cold.  I came home to find out that it actually was less than 20 degrees out!!! 17 DEGREES!!!! ~ 17 DEGREES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  No wonder my chin was frozen during my warm up.  NO wonder I didn't PR today--- I was 3 seconds SLOWER--- 19:47 (actually only 2.5 seconds, I just checked my entry two weeks ago).  Didn't have my garmin to tell me how badly I didn't hug the  corners, thankfully.  The effort was there and I felt this was a definite EXCELLENT FREEZE YOUR HINEY off TIME TRIAL!!  BRRRRrrrrrrr   as I came around the track and ran north--  the wind chill (slight wind  nothing drastic at all, just ICE AIR) was ALARMINGLY nasty.  My warm up pace (I ran a  two mile loop by my house  that I already knew the distance for) was a 9:01.  It felt like I was running faster.  Not because I was out of breath but because my legs felt light.  But the AIR was super THICK.  Burning a hole through my lungs of course.  I ran another two miles to the track.  So 4.07 miles (USED THE COURSE TOOL to determine distance) @ 8:49 AP.  Even one lap around the track took just over two minutes.  LEGS were NOT wanting to warm up in this AIR.  Too bad they were forced to run fast for 12 laps.  It was dark at first but with DAYLIGHT savings on my side I could see the sun working its way up over the MOUNTAINSIDE.  Didn't come over the top until I got home unfortunately.  Here are my lap paces--- the two laps when the girls came by me show how anxiety/people watching me--  really distracts me-- 1:37, 1:39, 1:38, 1:38, 1:39, 1:39, 1:39, 1:39, 1:38, 1:40, 1:40, 1:34.   Total time 19:47!!!!  : D.   Actually these are pretty consistent paces.  Must have been the song I kept playing over and over-- it lasted exactly 800 meters so it was perfect : D.  The song was "Tonight, Tonight"...there is a party on the rooftop, top of the world tonight....  Maybe I should find a song that make me run consistent 1:35s!!  : D.   However it looked like I was coming down in pace with that lap 9 at 1:38-- Then as I rounded the corner I saw the two girls.  At least they helped me run a fast last lap.   Ran almost THREE miles for a cooldown. Even that pace was surprisingly slow.  Thick air must give you the allusion of running faster.  That pace was 8:41.  I guess its either that or the COURSE TOOL is off.   My body started to melt when  I came in the door.  I had to jump in the shower within 40minutes of being home because I began to SHIVER quite a bit.  AHHHHHHHhhhhhh WARM/HOT showers are the best after a COLD RUN.  : DDD    Let me know what you think?  does cold weather slow you down?  or am I just in worse shape from two weeks ago?  It was 60 degrees two weeks ago. I ran that trial just as the cold front was approaching--- the air was amazingly warm for October.  However am I going to run a time trial in two weeks? the track will probably be covered in SNOW and ICE.   PM-- CYCLING CLASS-- tone and endurance, so floor for 30 and bike for 30.  NOT easy but a great sweaty workout nonetheless!!   MY PF foot is hurting less and less---CROSSING FINGERS, praying for a miracle.