Tuesday, February 02, 2010

The Forecast

It may snow tonight. Lately the temperatures have certainly been cold enough, and now we are again looking at a forecast of snow continuing into the morning hours. I'm wondering how this will affect my training schedule? (a thought that has only recently begun to cross my mind...)

See, we don't own a treadmill, so the running that I've been doing has been happening outdoors. I never, NEVER, never thought that I could walk, much less run, outside when it is as cold as we've been experiencing. Yet, it has been dry, so I've laced up the shoes, pulled on the warm gear, and gone out the door three days a week at least. Nobody is more surprised than me, believe me.

But tomorrow will be different. I will be given so many excuses to stay inside where it is dry and warm. Snow on the ground, muck on the road, slippery footing...

On Monday I was actually able to go for my run on the trails at Gring's Mill, not far from where I work. The sun was shining brilliantly and I was all alone as I walked and ran. The intervals for this week are 90 seconds of running, 90 seconds of walking, then 3 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking- repeat. Just me and the birds as I listened to the music podcast with the audio cues for when to change from running to walking and back again. I'm still working on controlling my breathing, and had to watch my footing more carefully, but it was a neat time out there and I look forward to the warmer weeks to come when I can do it again.

Every single day our neighbors with the Husky go up and down our street for their exercise. First Mike takes the dog for a run, then Carole goes for her walk- sometimes twice. Rain or shine, miserably cold or terribly hot, they're out there. Of course, if Mike falls frozen on the side of the road he has the dog to save him...

(Here is where I will not mention that taking Vali for a run would be a really bad idea... she's nightmare on a leash.)

But I suppose that even without a sled dog to save me I can get out there. After all, our group run with mike and Sharon and the kids on Saturday was accomplished in 18 degrees... What's a little snow?!

If I survive this, April will be easy!

"...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..."
(-Hebrews 12:1-3)

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