Kansas In January

Dang people, it's cold here.  I am not a cold weather gal, certainly not a cold weather runner.  The only time I ever have been able to run outside in the winter is when my 60ish friend Penny would force me.  She had a great way of guilting me into layering up & running outside.  *Except* for that one time I remember waking up at 6am on run day to freezing rain.  She was going anyway ... I said oh HELL NO.  That was the only day I could tell that little fireball I was going back to bed.  She is a great friend & a fabulous motivator. 

Well, she moved to Colorado, so there is noone to force my tushy out there on cold Kansas days.  The wind, my lord, the wind!  lol

These days it's the treadmill for me.  I don't hate it, but I surely would rather be outside seeing the sunrise. 

The positives: 1.  I'm warm.  2.  I don't have to watch for cars. 3. I don't get chased by dogs. 4. I can zone out. 5. I don't have to carry water & fuel (which I hate doing by the way).

The negatives: 1. BORING. 2. The gym smells like sweaty boys. 3. I worry about my butt jiggling for the people behind me to laugh at. 

So I guess I have more positives than negatives, but I'm itching to get outside for a long run. 

I hate, hate, hate running short distances.  Like yesterday, I had 2 miles on the schedule (right now I'm just doing a few miles at a time to get back into the feel of running).  I was dying during the first mile.  1.5 I start getting happy.  2 miles I wanted to keep going. 

Just makes me remember that I have ALWAYS hated the first 2 miles of the run.  I guess that's why I like endurance running so much.  It really takes me 2 to even start enjoying myself.  I also know the importance of not pushing myself too far too fast.  Too far is what caused me to sit out for an entire year with injury. 

I'm following my own advice this time around.  Strength train, respect the distance & do enough that you are improving but find that limit for yourself & be ok with easing back in.  I am starting from scratch & I'm treating it that way.  Run on friends!