BRRRRRR

Ohhh my word.  It was cold!  I woke up before the alarm this Sunday morning.  I laid in bed and thought about my planned run.   I checked the weather.  Holy cow wind chill of 12 degrees F.   Seriously?   That's cold!   I even got up and looked out the window to make sure everything was clear. Didn't appear to be icy!  But for the most part I laid in my toasty warm bed.   I never wavered in my determination though.  I knew that when the alarm went off  that I would bound out of bed, get dressed and head out the door to meet my friend Sherry for our Sunday morning run and walk.   So the alarm went off.....and just like planned I rolled out of bed and started to bundle up!   Yup, I went out jogging at an ungodly hour on a Sunday morning in the bitter cold.   Did I mention that it t was COLD!  Normally we do our training session and then walk some more to chit chat.  However, have I mentioned the cold???   We did our run, chit chatted for a few scant minutes and we headed home.  My hands and body is still chilled an hour later! (OK, I haven't hit up the shower yet...soon)   

The run actually wasn't all that bad with the cold.  (ok, who m I kidding....lol)   My eyes watered the whole time.  Looked like I was crying in misery...but no, I felt ALIVE!   I particularly love this picture because you can see a tear rolling down my cheek!  Sherry and I decided to go into the week blind with no clue of what we were running......I just looked it up. 
5 minute warm up.
Run 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Run 5 minutes
Walk 2.5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Run 5 minutes
5 minutes cool down.
The first run was a bit rough.  My breathing never got out of control but it just wasn't right.   I tightened up my focus and the following three runs I was able to do better.  :-)  I'm getting the breathing down.  :-)  

I'm actually very happy that I am learning to run in the bitter cold. If I started in the summer by the time it started to get cold again I would probably wimp out thinking I couldn't do it....that fresh determination wouldn't be there to push me out into the cold like it is right now.   In theory, I will run through the summer and when it starts to get cold again I can know that it's not as bad as I fear....and will know that I can do it!

As for my weight.  I'm just holding steady.  Not really dropping.  It's frustrating but I have looked back.  I know different things to focus on and tweak.  I'll figure this out and this weight WILL drop sooner or later.  The scales are just slow in getting the memo that I'm putting in the work and effort to lost the weight!

Alive!!!!!!

I've said it a few times in the past weeks about how I admire people that go outside and jog in extreme weather.  I have seen people running on snow packed roads.  I have seen people running in cold weather.  I've seen it all.  I look at them and I admire them.  I feel a bit envious actually.  I want to be that dedicated but I just struggle with it.  My house is so warm.  My bed is so toasty.  It's cold out there!   I have two friends out there that are planning on doing 5K's with me this year.  So this is the year that I turn myself into a runner.  Those two friends are lucky.  They both have access to a treadmill at their house.  I'm not so lucky.  If I want to do this I have to go outside and do it on the roads.  Yesterday I went to bed and I was determined.  I would start today.   I got up and putzed around the house.  I looked at the weather on my phone.  I looked outside.  My heart filled with dread.  It was WINDY as heck out there!  And it was COLD!  Yes, it was 39 degrees....with a wind chill more than 10 degrees colder and oh yeah, the wind was whipping at 25 plus MPH!

I didn't let that deter me though.  No no no.  I threw on a tee shirt and some exercise pants.  I threw on my socks and shoes.  I added a hooded pull over sweatshirt and then topped it with zipped up hoodie.  I grabbed my cell phone and I was off to the battlefield (Antietam Battlefield). I parked and opened the car door.  The open fields offered no windbreak for the wind that whistled against me....my car door felt like it weight 8 tons.  But I crawled out of my car and started.   The first few minutes were really chilly.  I need to add some gloves to my ensemble.  My legs were chilled with just the light layer of cloth but not annoyingly so.  After about 5-8 minutes I was comfortable with the exception of my hands.  But by about 20 minutes in I was toasty, even a bit sweaty on top and even my hands were comfortable.  Day one of C25K in the books.  WOO HOOO    I'll hit it up again tomorrow.  :-)  (yeah yeah yeah, I know a day of rest and all that...but I'll do this MY way).  There I am, double hooded and face nice and red from the nippy weather and my exertion.  There were officially snowflakes a few times...so I guess I can say I've run in the snow too!!!!!

That said, in the month of January I have added 103 miles to my virtual travel across the states.  I am still in Virginia (it is a rambling route through VA and Virginia is WIDE as all get out!)  I am currently 5.62 miles out of Scotchtown, VA!  


I went home and did a few things around the house including making lunch and getting ready for work (I didn't have to be at work until noon today).   As I drove to work one thing pounded in my head.  What word was that?   ALIVE!!!!!  I feel alive, and I like it!