Finally

Finally managed a "long" run this week. I've been threatening and pondering and agonizing over getting in a 15 mile run for like two months now, but I've essentially just settled on 10-12 every time instead. There are reasons, excuses and rationale galore for my choices, but the reality is that I didn't really need to do anything long so I just didn't. That being said, I am finally feeling the need to get cranking (at least a little bit) on my training and get myself used to the longer runs again in prep for No Business, which is only 6 months away once we hit the start of April. It's mostly a mental thing. I have been feeling intimidated by 15 miles after so many months of not logging the longer miles, which seems crazy since of course, deep down, I know I can do the miles and I know I certainly have been maintaining enough mileage to pull 15 off fairly easily. But the mind is a weird thing and often we are our own worst enemy when it comes to recognizing what we will be able to accomplish (or at least I am for myself!). So, glad to have finally bitten the bullet and gotten in the 15! Feels good and like I am on my way 💪

A cold front rolled in overnight on Sunday and temps were in the teens all day long on Monday with whipping winds and feels like temps in the low digits even at 3:30 when we finally got out for a family walk. Honestly, it was rather unpleasant out there. Brrr!! 💨 (1.7 miles walked)

My mid-week runs were both daytime runs, which is highly unusual for me. The early mornings were just not happening this week with daylight savings and the return to early morning darkness. Sigh. 

Tuesday, I got out around 3:45 for six around the Highland Green block. Bright, cool and breezy but glad to get out. Many thanks to Ryan for taking Sam to swim so I could get in my run! (6.0 miles)

Wednesday, I was working from home and determined to get in my miles even though I didn't manage to get them in early. I had an opening in my calendar late morning so I decided to head out for a run. Honestly, it was much more stressful than getting up and out in the darkness, so I don't envision myself doing that again, but I was glad to get in the miles. Ran around town on the roads and then cut back on the powerlines, where the shady stretches are still solid ice, required a fair amount of tiptoeing. (7.0 miles)

Friday was yet another cold and wicked windy day. I knew road running would be terrible given the wind, and despite knowing I probably would not find things to be great out in the woods, I set out on the trails hoping I would find that all the ice had melted and the running was grand. Ha! And well, of course, I found that the trails are not quite ready yet 😆 But I had to try. Ran on the Mt. A trails and out into the Cathance. A mix of bare ground and ice, but all the icy stretches required careful walking and tiptoeing maneuvers so I bailed out of the Cathance pretty quickly and looped back on the back dirt road and the powerlines. (7.0 miles)

Yesterday was the first official day of spring! 🌷 While I should have known better from Friday's run, I figured I'd head out on the powerlines and hit some trail sections that were no doubt getting more sun and might be more melted out. Of course, that meant traversing a few known icy spots, and yup, you guessed it, took a fall. Oh well. I knew it was coming and I wasn't moving fast, so it was fairly painless and I popped right back up. Random wander out on the powerlines, Riverside trails, back dirt road, along the bottom of the Heath, hole #3 and up and over Mt. A. Mostly (frozen) dirt, which was quite nice, and a lovely bright, sunshiney morning too! (8.0 miles)

Sam and I headed over to Whatley Farm later in the morning with Mom and Dad to pick up some veggies and cut some pussy willow branches in celebration of spring! Beautiful morning to be out and the pussy willows were so pretty looking against the bright blue sky 😍

After lunch, we headed into town to get Sam a new bike. She has grown so much in the past year and the 20" bike that we got her last year when she finally decided it was time to learn to ride had become way too small. Gorham Bike & Ski was hopping but we lucked out and they had a great 24" bike in stock. It's pretty snazzy looking too and glad to find Sam a good upgrade and support a local business while using some of our stimulus money 😃

From there, we headed over to Mom and Dad's and took a nice late afternoon walk down to the swinging bridge and back. Such a nice day to be outside! (1.8 miles walked)

Shadow swinging bridge self portrait 😎

And that brings us to today. A bright, calm, sunshiney morning and I headed out on the roads around town for my long run. Enjoyed listening to the two new Work, Play, Love podcasts along the way, felt fine, and was glad to get in the miles. Yay running 😄 (15.0 miles)

Wrapped up the weekend with a late afternoon walk around the school block with Mom and Dad. The sun sure is bright but it was a bit cool with the wind and in the shadows. (2.0 miles walked) 

Followed up the walk with homemade pizza and a yummy salad made with local spinach, carrots and roasted beets. 😋