Twelve miles in 1:30.
Everything is harder in the winter. I mean literally harder. I'm sure the midsole of your shoe is harder and has less shock absorbtion when it's five degrees out. The road seems harder. On the rare occasion when the grass and trails aren't covered with snow, they are harder too. My bones feel more brittle. I think I'll have to avoid hills. On tonights run I did the first eight miles in Sugarhouse Park, which is hilly, and I really felt achy. Then I did the last four in my neighborhood, where it is flat, and I felt like I could keep going all night.
The obvious solution (other than moving to a warm climate) if to run more on the treadmill which I find to be way easier on my legs. But when I'm in a phase of training where I'm focusing on long aerobic runs, I hate to use the tm. I like to save it for harder runs. Might have to change that philosophy and maybe use a 2% incline to make it a little more realistic. | 