Tuesday, January 7, 2014

- 30......no thank you.

When did I become such a wuss?  

I used to eat -30 degree runs for breakfast and growl my victory as I unwrapped the frosty layers post run. Now, when the thermometer hits -30 I look longingly at my run gear and manage to talk myself out of a run choosing instead to cozy up to a glass of wine.

Today is a perfect example:   I didn't get to run yesterday due to my overloaded Monday so before I went to bed I packed my run bag determined to get a run in today.  I looked at the handy-dandy weather app on my phone this morning to see what the temperature was......-19 was the projected high.......o.k. not so bad,  I added an extra layer in the bag and thought to myself, " I am running today, its just a little cold"  I was psyched!

Then I went to start my car.

 -19?  I call bullshit.   It was so cold out that when I opened the door to go, the dog looked at me as if to say,  "I'm good, I can hold it."  When my car finally relented against it's frigid slumber and coughed to a start, the man on the radio made me aware that with the windchill, we were actually headed for a balmy -30 degrees for the day.   Seriously!  that's the kind of cold that makes your eyeballs water and makes you do that little short breathing so you don't actually have to take too much cold air inside your body and make yourself colder!

How on earth did I used to do this?  Where did my motivation go?  Can someone find it and ship it back to me so I can get my ass in gear and stop longing for a dreadmill.   Me! Longing for a dreadmill?  Somebody call the San and tell them I'm coming because I must be out of my mind.

I've never considered myself  a "fair weather" runner but - 30.......no thank you!

Long may we run,

D


Monday, January 6, 2014

2014 - New Beginings

Happy New Year!

 
Like the title says it's time for new beginings.  The tail end of 2013 was a real crapper as far as any sort of consistant run-schedule went for Jess and I.  But, it's to be expected when you life goes bazooey! (yes its a word)

That's the thing about being a regular person with a love of running and not an elite athlete ,  life gets in the way sometimes and generally; it's just about figuring out life's road block so you can get back to doing the thing that lights you up inside.

Speaking for myself,  I know that I spent the better part of December beating myself up over the fact that I wasn't running 3-4 times per week like I usually did and bemoaning my run-tragedy to my hubby to the point where he looked at me with a smile and did his best "quit your whining" eyes and asked me if I knew where my run bag was.   I think he may have been ready to throw me and it out into the snow.

But here we are in January 2014.   We made it to a new year!  A year full of potential runs, races and goodness knows shenanigans and stories. 


Like this:


Sunday January 5, 2014.

Jess and I decided we had had enough of this not running together foolishness and planned a morning run.  No distance decided during our banter the night before,  just a run.  Well maybe a shuffle,  or something akin to a jog since we were both so out of shape but a run nonetheless damn it!

Jess had decided I was trying to kill her when I proposed 9km (go big or go home) but I 'm smart and planned for the potential of a 6km drop off just in case we were both feeling suckish. But as we moved along at a pace far slower than we were used to but one that kept us moving forward, I think we each silently knew that we would be ok.

Sidebar ~  the route we used is one that we run quite often, its mildly challenging but in our winter conditions tends to be a safe choice for not getting sent to the Emergency Unit due to vehichular maming.

As we neared the 5km mark we started to encounter what we lovingly call "dog's breakfast".   It's when the sidewalk plow guys don't so much plow the sidewalk as they churn up all the ice and snow and leave the path mangled.  The result of this mangling is that runners get to try to gracefully . hop/prance around like bambi trying to make their way along the route and risk a twisted ankle.(Jess and I will easily tell you that we are neither pranc-y or graceful so this prospect is just suckish)

Oh joy, oh bliss!  

But,  as only crazies can do, we pushed on.  With our oaf-like pancing, slipping and sucking wind but pushing on.  We hit some clear spots, some not so clear spots.  Some hills,  and some flats.   We sighed,  we grumbled,  and I believe there was even a "oh for fuck sakes"  uttered once or twice but we kept moving forward until at last 9.5 km was achieved.   Victory! Hell ya!

Lesson learned:  It was not a great run.  It was hard and slow and in many parts just plain awful but, we did it.  Not all runs can be great but you have to accept that the crappy runs make the great runs that much better and it's what you do with the effort that keeps you moving forward.


Long may we run,

D