Man, this week is almost over and I haven’t posted since Monday afternoon! The days have flown by, it seems. So, a quick review, although once again I am at work and unable to provide split data for my runs.
Tuesday I couldn’t get out to run because it was about 27 degrees outside with a 15 mph wind that cut the temp to about 15. Too cold to run without an actual running jacket, which I will lack until Christmas. I could have gone to the gym, but preferred to sleep another hour instead.
Wednesday morning I got up and while it was cold, it was still in the high 20’s, and without a wind so it was just warm enough to run. I broke out my tights for this one and am glad I did. Again, though, I need a real running jacket because my fleece is not cutting it at those temps. My pace was about 9:30 something for 3.5 miles, so I am getting faster, although I don’t know if this is due to increased endurance/strength or because it’s so damn cold outside that I have to run a little faster to stay warm. Thankfully, it was just overcast when I went out and didn’t begin snowing until around 9, when I was already safely at work.
However, the coldness stayed another day and it was 15 this morning without the wind chill, which made it feel like 7. That coupled with the snow and ice on the ground persuaded me to stay in bed and enjoy another hour of warm sleep. I should go to the gym tonight to get a run in, so we’ll see how that works out. My training schedule calls for a 5 mile run with a 3.5 mile run on Friday (I moved my Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday schedule back a day since Tuesday was a bust). However, I’d prefer to run that 5 miler outdoors since it won’t seem quite as much like torture as it would at the gym, so I think I will run 3.5 miles tonight and 5 tomorrow morning. The weather is supposed to be marginally warmer tomorrow with temps around freezing at 6 AM. I can run in 32 degree weather with my fleece and the coming days are supposed to be a little warmer (high 30’s and low 40’s in the mornings, I believe), so relief isn’t far away.
Unfortunately, I just remembered that they’re lighting the Washington Monument in Mt. Vernon tonight at 5:30 (well, it all starts at 5:30), so I might end up doing my run later, if at all. See, this is why I should have gotten up and gone this morning! But at 5:30 AM, my brain is a well-oiled excuse machine. My sleepy brain deploys all the logic I have now against me in the morning. In my defense, I didn’t know the monument was being lit tonight until someone at work told me earlier today, and I’d like to think that would have effected my decision to sleep later this morning had I known it at the time.
As it stands, I may miss this easy 3.5 miler this week and regroup tomorrow morning for the 5 milers, followed by a 6 mile long run on Sunday. Once the weather moderates a little (I can accept 30’s in the morning, but 20’s and lower is ridiculous), I don’t anticipate many mornings when I don’t get my butt up and run as I feel great afterwards.
I’m still about 16 weeks out from the half marathon, so I don’t think missing 3.5 miles out of the roughly 400 I will run to prepare for this race will hurt me too badly.
On another note, the Celtic Solstice 5 Miler is just over a week away and I am looking forward to the race. It’s taking place in Druid Hill Park along the same paths as the Zoo Zoom. I feel that I will run more effectively in this race since I’ve been running outside during the cold and have become a little more acclimated to it. Hopefully it won’t be 20 degrees that morning and it’ll be an enjoyable run. Between now and next Saturday I have a couple 3.5 milers, two 5 mile tempo runs and one 6 mile long run.
I’ll post my splits from yesterday’s run when I get home and have access to the data.
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