Day Twenty-Seven

Miles: 7
Time: 1:00:09
Pace: 8:35
Splits: 8:37, 8:30. 8:30 8:34, 8:35, 8:38, 8:41

I skipped yesterday's 5 miler because I was going to be moving my shit/moving furniture in a new dorm room all day (it took us about 4 hours) and that counted as a workout. I totally worked up a sweat (especially when making my bed on my loft... eek!)

TODAY'S run, however, went really well. I worked up the courage to run outside. It was 24 degrees with about 9 mph winds (though they were basically CONSTANT for the first half of my run, so my face felt pretty cold/numb/windburnt when I got home). I ran REALLY consistent splits, which made me pretty happy. :) My knee hurt for miles 5 and 6, but really eased up on the last mile, which was good. I only stopped, like, 4 times, too. Twice for traffic, twice to try to warm up my face. :P

I ran on the trail because I didn't want to run on the treadmill or have to fight people's sidewalks or traffic, and it worked out pretty well. There were a few spots where ice was all the way across the path, so I had to run on the ice/snow bits on the side where the grass is, which was fun because it was really crunchy. I could tell where ice really affected my pace though, because the faster miles were also dry miles and they just FELT faster. It was nice to have something to think about (dodging ice) instead of just running, like on the track. Though the track is nice, I'm an outdoors runner at heart. :)

I totally saw a duck with a broken wing, though, when I was running around the lake, and it totally broke my heart. Because how is it going to fly south for the winter if it can't even fly away from me? I felt so bad for it, because it was scared of me but couldn't go anywhere. At least I'm a nice person and don't terrorize ducks.

On the subject of birds, though, there were a ton of geese and a few ducks still hanging around. WTF? Shouldn't they be flying south for the winter? I mean, it's December. And it's Iowa. There's ice and snow and COLD everywhere! Were they just as surprised by the foot of snow we got a week ago as all we humans were?

Hmmph. Anyway, pretty decent run. I have to work from 11-6 tomorrow, so I will have to run in the morning. 6 miles outside in the AM when it's colder, on the treadmill where I won't have any motivation? Ugh, temperatures will tell.

Oh, and my knee is sort of sore just sitting here. Ugh... I want to go see what's wrong with the damn thing.

Day Twenty-Two

Miles: 5 4
Time: 34:28
Pace: 8:36
Splits: 8:29, 8:40, 8:40, 8:35

Well, I was consistent! That's a plus!

Conditions this morning were terrible. I snowed some last night, so the streets were all a mess today. Pretty much NO ONE had shoveled their sidewalk yet (but I can't blame them, to be explained in just a sec), so I was slipping around in snowy slush for 4 miles. I couldn't stand to go any further, and I was running out of time because I needed to get back to my dorm and shower and blog before class.

Why am I running at 8 in the morning, you may ask? Well... you see, we're supposed to get this huge BLIZZZZZZARD today. It is supposed to snow 2-4 inches this afternoon and another 4-6 tonight. I wanted to get outside once more before the huge snow hits and it is officially time for Yak Traks and slipping and sliding and hating life in general. :P (But one more week, and I will be able to use the treadmill at MY HOUSE where it is NOT 70 DEGREES with NO AIR CIRCULATION! Yay!)

Ugh... winter, you foul beast.

Oh, and for about half a mile coming back one direction, I basically couldn't see because the snow as being blown directly into my eyes. NOT A GOOD TIME!

My legs are tired. They're not used to working so hard just to stay balanced! Snow running = sand running... but slipperier.

OH! BUT NOTHING HURT! ::REJOICES:: The extra day off this weekend helped, me thinks.

Day Eighteen

Miles: 6
Time: 49:33
Pace: 8:15
Splits: 7:50, 8:14, 8:25, 8:29, 8:20, 8:11

As nice as the weather was yesterday, today's weather was shitty. Yesterday: 55 degrees, sunny, slightly breezy. Today: 35 degrees, cloudy, extremely windy (in about three directions). Yesterday: Ran in shorts and a t-shirt. Today: Ran in leggings, shorts, t-shirt and jacket (with the sleeves pulled down the WHOLE TIME which basically never happens!). Yesterday: Comfortable. Today: Very much not.

It was a decent run, though. The first 3-3.5 miles I had basically no traffic stops, which was really nice. I just kept going and going (sort of). But everything else the way back to campus had me stopping every couple minutes because I was getting back into the busy sections of downtown (I went down on the trail on the first half), and that sort of sucked.

Besides the first split, all my other miles were really consistent, so I guess I am getting better at that. :) My knee wasn't too bad today. I had weird tightness there and along the side of my right calf, but both of them sort of went away. My knee is a little sore still, but whatevs. I am just getting used to favoring it while going up stairs (because I go up and down 2-3 flights of stairs only about 10 times a day).

Now to shower/warm up and do HOMEWORK!!!!!!!!!!! Oh finals, how I love to loathe you....