sunny days
Ah….the sun! Saturday was absolutely glorious. I tend to not notice how long the sun has been hiding until it reappears and I am overwhelmed by its beauty. I was a little confused when I woke up before my alarm. It took me a blink or two to realize that I was awake because my room was flooded with a strange light and warmth. Good morning sun!
The most exciting part of my day was the hour that the lasagna was in the oven. The sun was shining into our living room and I took the opportunity to curl up on the floor in the sunshine and soak in the joy. Magical. Simply magical. I was a bit nervous about my concoction that was as close to lasagna as I could get with the materials I had on hand (I was determined to not go to the grocery store). However, it turned out decently and when Mr. Dawn was polishing off his third piece I decided that it was a victorious day of cooking.
Since Mr. Dawn had to work Saturday night I took the opportunity to get in some shopping. Less than an hour away there is a collection of outlet stores, one of whom is a Nike factory store. I had yet to visit. This would be my maiden voyage.
I must confess, I have been a Nike hater. I’m not sure where or when this happened. When I was in high school I wore Nike shoes for basketball and P.E. but somewhere along the line I became convinced that they had nothing to offer me as a serious runner. However, now I find myself in a new financial situation that doesn’t allow me to be as choosy with my equipment. I know that I’ve needed new shoes for awhile, and I’ve been trying to wait until “spring” so that I don’t ruin my new shoes by running in the mud, snow, and salt. My goal was to just go explore. I have been doing a lot of reading online regarding the types of shoes that would work for my feet/gait, and I’ve made a list of potential Nikes that I was hoping to find at the outlet.
When I walked into the store, I must admit how exhilarating it was to see so much devoted to running. It seemed like everywhere I turned there were running shorts, jackets, hats, socks….but I stuck to my mission and headed straight back towards the shoes. After some looking, I found two pairs of shoes that were on my list. I had just intended to try them on and compare but I should have known…Not only did I find that one of the pairs felt amazing, they were on clearance AND they are goretex! Now, ever since I decided that I was going to man-up and do all of my running outside, rain or snow, I’ve been contemplating the idea of trail shoes and/or some kind of water proof running shoe. Just imagine my delight 
.
my new winter running feet
I did wander through the cold weather running gear and may have gotten some drool on a couple magnificent jackets that will definitely be on my wish list next Christmas. They also had a sale on thermal lined running tights. Now, I haven’t ever made up my mind on how I feel about running tights. They seem to be very unflattering on just about everyone that I’ve ever seen wear them. Don’t get me wrong, I know that I’m not out to win any fashion contests whilst running and function should (I repeat should) win over fashion, I still struggle with the idea of running tights. As for now, I just layer. There may come a day however that I will be convinced of the necessity of the tight.
Sunday, I once again awoke to the miracle of the sun. Two days in a row? Unheard of! But very welcome. I tried to get as much laundry done in the morning, since I knew my afternoon would be consumed by my long run and Superbowl preparations.
KT met me at my house and we set off for what we hoped would be an amazing 8 miles on a new out-and-back route. We drove out, dropped off some water bottles at the half-way point, parked our car back at the start, and were off. It was a very nondescript run for me. We ran at an easy pace heading out towards the sun.
On my long runs, I don’t like listening to music. I feel like it interrupts my rhythm and I’d rather be able to pay attention to my body than be distracted by a beat. However, I do wear my ipod because I like to know my pace, distance and time. This has lead me to listen to audiobooks on any run over 6 miles. For this training season I downloaded a book (can’t think of the title) about Lady Jane. I’ve really been enjoying it. I was inspired because during my sophomore year of high school we watched a movie about Lady Jane and even though I can’t remember much of the storyline itself, I remember really liking it. I’m pretty sure that this book is historical-fiction because it’s written in the first person from the perspective of several different characters, but it is still interesting.
The first half of the run I could tell that KT was struggling, so when we got out to our water I asked how it was going. She said that she was feeling really sluggish and couldn’t get into gear. We talked while we drank water and I gave her all the encouragement I could, but the bottom line was we were four miles from our car and had no option but to run back. As soon as we set out I realized what a difference it made running away from the sun. Without that warmth on my face I quickly felt chilled. I also hadn’t noticed any wind on the “out” part, but “back” there was definitely some wind. My hands were quite cold by the time I reached the car, and I had noticed a pre-blister “hot spot” that had formed on the arch of my right foot. Maybe I should have waited to break in my new shoes on a shorter run….oh well.
By the time we got back I had barely enough time to get in a quick ice bath before we had to leave for the Superbowl party. Silly me. Long runs plus parties is not a great combination. I tend to be a little lethargic after my runs and might not be the most entertaining company. I did find the energy to eat a LOT of unhealthy food, so there’s that. I was able to cheer on the Saints, not because I am a huge fan, but because I wanted to see them victorious.
Just for good measure, the sun is out again today. Amazing. I am making note that I should enjoy it because our upcoming forecast is not looking great….especially the 100% chance of snow tomorrow…
