That was my first reaction this morning, the 16th, when I stepped outside..but let me start by explaining my culmination of 2 runs, 9 hours apart.
Yesterday - Sunday - was a challenge. Not to run - but to make the time to run. I was up and ambitious to run in the morning, but when my running partner texted saying she was running later, I used that as a great excuse to stop "layering up" and crawl back into my warm bed. I had ambitions for 6 miles that morning....but it just didn't happen. The rest of the day included church, family pictures, work/dinner outing visiting the Gingerbread Village in town - all things that were not conducive to squeezing in a run and coming back being ready to do the next thing on the list (unless I showered and got RE-dressed up)...now that sounded awful! Of course after the Gingerbread Village we spent time driving around looking at lights (the twins LOVE it...and we do as well). I kept glancing at the clock, knowing that yep, it's getting pretty late, and the thermometer now is registering 7 degrees. AND I STILL need to squeeze in a minimum mileage today.
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| Gingerbread Village by Janet Gustafson - Flossmoor, IL |
By the time we got home and the baby was in bed - I stepped outside at 8:30pm. It was bitterly cold: 7 deg with a windchill of -3. With the Homewood roads being clear...and still feeling my internal warmth, my first mile was an 8:15. However, the last two were at the stage of trying to just keep moving and my pace slowed down considerably.
I must mention that at 8pm, before I began, the thought of another Midnight Straddle Run crossed my mind. I had commitments to Priscilla to run at 6am on Monday....so instead of running 9 hours apart....just do another midnight straddle?!?...duh! But, thankfully my sanity clicked when I realized how cold it was, that it was a Sunday night, and dang-it - I was exhausted!
The run was wonderful - I hit some streets in Flossmoor that we didn't check out the lights of earlier. My kids call these streets the "spider web" streets. They beg us to get our neighborhood to start this tradition. I was circling home and realized how I had finally gotten into the "groove" and honestly didn't feel that cold anymore. I was debating adding another 3 mile loop when I realized I still had a Panda Bear costume to make tonight for my son's school holiday program that required my attention. Mom duties > Marcothon-miles. Lesson to be learned that has haunted me almost every day this month - RUN EARLY OR IT MAY NEVER HAPPEN!
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| "Spider Web Streets" near Flossmoor Community Church |
Today - Monday - was bright and early to join Priscilla. I was motivated to start off the week right, and also felt a little Deja Vu by putting on running clothes again and jacket that I swear I had JUST taken off (9 short hours ago). I wake up to the reminder that I had volunteered to bring baked holiday goods to school this morning for the kids' teacher appreciation day. I pull out the box of pumpkin bread mix I have to then realize - dang, it needs to bake for 55 minutes! So, I'm sure I woke everyone up, because it was 5:50am, and I'm baking pumpkin bread like a madwoman to get in in the oven before I got out the door.
I stepped outside and what was the first thing I said? Holy $%&@ - More Snow! Yep, I was JUST outside a few hours before and now, there's new snow. Maybe an inch, but the plows were out and a nice traction challenge was at my feet that was not there last night. Oh you Marcothon - don't think this is going to derail me one bit!!! The temperature today was 11 degrees, with a windchill of 11 (no wind!). It was fantastic. I met Priscilla half way between her house and mine. We did a minimum mileage, commiserated about our weekend, and was home in time for a shower and to pull the warm bread out of the oven.
Marcothon, for an existing runner, is nothing more than a game, challenge, obstacle of self discipline. Can you make the time, be motivated to head out in the challenges of weather, and be determined enough to do this...EVERY.DAMN.DAY for 31 days? Well, today starts the downhill slide. 16 days in the books and 15 more ahead. Between the snow, ice, deep freeze, marco-flu, kids programs, work travel - I can say - I GOT THIS. The latter half of the month my work obligations will be done, school will be out, and hopefully more of my runs will be during the daylight warmer hours. I plan to drag some family members out over the Christmas holiday to enjoy the pavement with.
May the next 15 days be warm, smooth, and relaxing - because to me, since I made it thru these first 2+ weeks, it'll only be easier from here on out!
Day 15 Run Data HERE.
Sunday Run
DEC 15, 2013 - 8:27 PM
MI
3.14
DURATION
27:36
AVERAGE PACE
8:48
CALORIES BURNED
478
Day 16 Run Data HERE
Monday Run
DEC 16, 2013 - 6:08 AM
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