Will Run For Ice Cream

Running – well running is probably not going to happen for me anytime soon. It is warming up a ‘little’ but the wind is so bad and it has a ‘bite’ to it. So I think my goal of running 3 times a week during the Winter may be unrealistic for me unless I join a gym. The exercise bike is sitting in the corner mocking me because I haven’t ridden the bike either. I don’t really have an excuse not to ride the bike other than I just don’t like it. Maybe today I'll ride...

I piled on the layers and went out into the elements today. It was cold, but the face mask that HG gave me really helped. I’m disappointed though. I thought I had run much farther than what I did. But my goal was to run, and I ran even though the wind chill was in the 20’s.

Wow I did it. The wind was howling and I do mean howling. We were having wind gusts up to 45mph. At one point, I saw some snow flurries. Needless to say, it was cold. But, HG wrapped a scarf around me and gave me something to put over my nose and mouth which greatly helped. People were looking at me like I was insane. I’m not sure if it was because I looked like a midget criminal with my face mask and toboggan or because it was so cold and the wind was so fierce. Regardless, I ran. I ran into the wind, I run with the wind and I ran beside the wind… but I completed my goal for the day and ran 3.1 miles.

I have a love/hate relationship with running. Just this last week, I told my husband that I wasn't running anymore. I'm finished. It's cold. It's wet. And I'm just truly disgusted with my distance, my pace and my lack of motivation. I'm done. Today - well today I realize that I miss it. I miss setting a goal and trying to achieve it. I don't always reach my goal and when I don't, those around me tend to suffer for it - but when I do - it's a really great feeling of accomplishment. It's a feeling of being proud of myself - a feeling that I don't sometimes feel very often. So today, I am hoping to set a new goal for myself. Just three times a week, surely I can do it just three times a week. From Sunday to Saturday, I hope to run 3 times a week which means if I run on the weekends, I only have to run once during the weekday. I'm going to try to focus on the fact that I am running - not the pace or the distance or even the lonliness that I f

I wasn’t mentally into running today but knew that I needed to do ‘something’ and take advantage of the warmer weather. I decided to run a quick mile instead of running a longer distance. I ran an 8’32” mile. It won’t break any records, but it was decent. After the Winter passes, I’m considering joining a running group. I think if I run with a group I could increase my distance and have a better pace. At least today, I didn’t get chased by any dogs.

Sigh… I ran 3.917 miles after work today. I started off fine with around a 9 minute pace. But as usual around 2 or 2.5 miles I started to feel it and slowed up and walked here and there. The hills are tough! I enjoyed the sunset though and the view of the fall foliage was spectacular. Although I’m discouraged with my ‘time’, I’m pleased that I took the initiative to run today.

I’m proud of myself for running today. My legs felt like lead again and I had a difficult time breathing, but I didn’t give up. I still had to walk part of it, but my overall pace was a 9’33’. So I’m pleased. My face hurts though from the cold wind. But I love the feeling of accomplishment.

It’s been difficult to run lately. The weather has changed here. It is much cooler, and it is making it difficult for me to ‘get out there’. I purchased a cheap exercise bike in the attempt to try to stay in shape since I couldn’t run as often. I have to say though that I hate the bike. I was able to get out and run this Thursday and Friday. I was disappointed in my first run this week. I ran a little over three miles, but my pace as terribly slow. The run on Friday was faster, but it left me too sore that I didn’t run today. I am hoping to run tomorrow even though it is supposed to be colder. The true Runners keep telling me that it will get easier, but I can’t say that I see that happening yet. I can see that I am stronger (some days) than I have been in the past. And then (some days) I feel as if I have never run before. I think my biggest obstacle is myself. If I get tired – I quit. And this frustrates me about myself. But, in my own defense, I have to say that I haven’t given up.