Needing to Adapt

I'm a cold weather runner. I don't know how I'm going to train for a marathon throughout the summer. I might get used to it as I run the longer distances in the heat. I've adjusted for Henri's sake to the cold, maybe I can adjust the other way. I just can't imagine it right now. We ran 6 miles in 40 degree weather on Sunday. While we only ran 5 today, it felt so much better, but it was 30 degrees and the wind was cold. Just that 10 degree difference...

I will admit, I made chili when we got home to warm up my belly.

Keep It Going

I have a thing for my iPod. It's a Classic with lots of storage. I have pretty much every song I've ever owned on it. It goes with me everywhere. I use it when I can at work, I use it in the car and of course, it goes on every run with me. So, you can imagine my distraught as it started to die. I found one on Ebay, a little bit bigger than my current and I got it for $100. I've been working diligently to get this new iPod up and, well, running. I've been a little distracted with that, so I didn't get us out for our run yesterday. I made the decision that we would be running right after church. I was not allowed to play with my iPod until we finished our run.

Well, since this was supposed to be our 6 mile week according to our half-marathon training plan, that was what we were supposed to do. To help from giving up on that idea, one of my run squad that I'm running the half and full with joined us, seeing as how she needed the same amount of motivation (the other one did the right thing and did her long run on Saturday, like she was supposed to). We still have to work on keeping Henri motivated as we continually loop through the neighborhood, poor guy. He just doesn't understand, but he's still just so cute. He had a good time though, adding to our squad.

Shining Down, Shining Up

It was a beautiful day! It was sunny and 45 degrees. It was a little windy, but it was blowing in a direction that didn't impact us. It sounds like it's supposed to be windy tomorrow, so I pushed a little today, trying to get some speed. I need to work on knowing my speed without looking at my Garmin. Often times I feel slow, but I'm really running at a good pace. When I see my pace, I feel like I need to push, but really I just need to fall into it. 

I feel like I've been trying to get my pace up for over a year. Maybe a little marathon training will get me there. If not, there is this little face shining up at me either way, so...I'm good.

Mind Games

I almost talked myself out of running today, but it took all of two steps and I remembered, "I love this!" I'm not sure what would make me forget that. It was colder than it was supposed to be. There were snow showers midday. It was windy. A million little reasons, but none of them were very good.

I might have tweaked my ankle a little bit when we ran in the snow on Thursday, but it didn't start hurting until yesterday. It didn't bother me at all while we ran. It was actually probably one of our better runs in awhile. All these things, the weather, the possible injury, laziness, they almost caused me to give up on today, to put off the run for another day. I had to make up my mind that we were going to run and that it was going to be fine. Well, it turned out great! I can't believe we almost missed it!

I don't know what this post run cuddle session was about, but, I mean, who's complaining?

The Beauty of Snow

There is still a lot of snow on the ground, covering the sidewalks. The city is also not very good about salting the roads, especially in this neighborhood, so there is no running in the streets either. It's safer to run the drifted sidewalks, so that's what we did. Many places it looked as if no one had been there, even though I know we were just there two days ago. It's kind of mystical and romantic. Who better to share that romance with than my little sled dog?

While these runs aren't helping my pace at all, I'm getting a great stability workout and I can feel it much more in my glutes and hamstrings. I still don't want to slip on some ice or roll my ankle on some packed snow, but I'll miss it a little when it's gone. Maybe I won't be so nervous next time it snows, as long as the temps are good for Henri's paws, which is what I was avoiding last round. It looks like the temps will be up, at least for the next week. We'll see what happens after that, but maybe we can get a "long" run in this weekend. The training plan is calling for six miles. Not a problem as long as the snow is gone. If not, I'm not worried about it. I'm not worried about getting the distance for the half. I'll be ready for that. I've got plenty of time.

Announcement

Hello, friends! I know! It's been awhile. Don't worry. Henri and I have still been running. It was a pretty warm summer that seemed to last a long time. We ran often, but the distance wasn't really there. We had to wait for it to cool off to start working toward our ten mile goal. We made it with a few weeks to spare!

So, what is in store for 2018? Well...there might be a marathon in my future. Actually, there is a marathon in my future. I'm signed up. Tickets are purchased. Lodgings are booked. There is no backing out now. What? Why? Because I'm not signed up for just any old local marathon. I'm running the 3 country marathon starting in Germany, crossing the Swiss border and finishing in Austria, because if you're going to run a marathon, might as well see the world while you're doing it! Oh, and while we're over there, might as well run a 10K in Iceland. What am I doing?

Well, it all starts with a little half-marathon training for the Illinois Half-Marathon, because that's just a half, so I can stay local for that. 

We hadn't been on a run since December 23rd, until today. It's been cold, snowy and icy, conditions that I thought dangerous for myself and Henri. We almost got out last week, but we found a lost dog before we even made it out of our block. By the time we got it home, it started to rain. I guess we were saved from being on the opposite side of the other neighborhood when the rain started, but it was still a disappointment. So, today, I was not letting anything stop us. Maybe slow us down a bit...but just look at Henri leaping through the snow!

So, that's the plan this year. Run a Half in April as part of training for a Full in Germany in October, shortly followed by a 10K in Iceland. Unfortunately, Henri will not be able to run any of these with me, but I will keep him by my side for as much of the training as he is interested and able to do, as a lot of the long runs will be in the summer and I am more concerned with his safety than him being there with me. Besides, I'm going to have to run it without him in Germany. Better get used to it...but not too used to it.