running: the dawn

I did it!  I got all my spare gumption that’s been lying around with nothing to do and went out to face the chilly afternoon.  This time, I was sure to double up on my layers and wear my extra warm running pants (that are not flattering at all by the way, what with their tapered leg and elastic waist).

The run was actually much much more enjoyable than I thought it was going to be.  I had my ipod cranking out some lovely Jazzercise songs (that is the only way that I stay current on music, since I’m old and listen to NPR ALL the time) and the only part of me that wasn’t warm was my hands.  Now, I had in fact doubled up on the gloves, but apparently that wasn’t enough.  So midway through the run I decided that if the temperature drops below 30 degrees, I’m just going to have to wear my snowboarding mittens.  End of discussion.

A good part about the run was that the wind was in my face heading out and at my back on the way back.  Which meant that the second half of the run was so enjoyable I almost forgot that it was so cold.

The snow-covered slippery roads provided an extra challenge that might have also distracted me as the miles went by.  I had to think about each step and watch out for patches of ice.  I’m pretty sure that I looked like a member of the Flinstones, with my feet flailing beneath me as I desperately try to get some forward motion.  I’m starting to think that I might need to invest in those cleat-looking things you can slip over your shoes for more traction.  That would reduce the fun of random cars that drive by and laugh at my predicament, but I can’t be all things to all people.

The weirdest thing about the run though was that is was my fastest run so far this training season.  I ran an average of 8:50 per mile…which is not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but it is fast-er that I have been running lately.  I must have thought that I could actually run away from the cold air if I just moved fast enough.  Apparently I was trying to spend as little time as possible in the frigid air.

All in all, it was a great day to be a runner.  Then I got home and checked the weather.  Sometime during my run it dropped from 14 to 12 degrees.  Awesome.