What a Windy Day

At least the sun was shining, but the wind was something else. I ran 6.5 miles, and when I returned home and checked the temperature on the Internet it said 49 degrees, feels like 45. No way. The wind was over 20 mph and has stayed that way into the evening. The light gloves I bought before the Tulsa Route 66 Marathon have turned out to be three of the best dollars I've ever spent.

Glad I Waited a Day

Yesterday was so cold and rainy that I looked outside and decided inside was the place to be. Since the treadmill didn't appear to be a good option for an 8-miler, I waited until today. Snow last evening made the bet seem kind of dicey, but I'd already made my decision.

And a good thing I did, too. The snow melted by noon, the sun was out, and the temperature climbed into the upper half of the 40's. I bought a new Nike iPod sensor this morning and calibrated it with a 1-mile run, then finished with a 6.5 mile jog. Although my jog was a little fast, if the sensor is to be believed. Maybe it was just because I was excited to see the sun for a change.

Snowy Christmas Run

For the second year in a row I went over to the high school and ran on the track. This time I took the kids so they could run around, and as an added bonus I was decked out in all the new running duds my wife gave me for Christmas! New shirt, new hooded overshirt, new pants, and new exercise pants. Snow covered the track but I still did 5 miles, including 1-2-3-2-1 fartleks. MK ran four laps with me, and even Abigail ran a couple. The girls were cheering me on, which was very sweet of them. Not bad for a holiday!

More Cold

Cold as anything with snow in the forecast for tonight. And 5 miles on the treadmill. Really, beyond that there's nothing else to say.

A Week of Running

It's been a busy week, with a trip to DC the first part and lots of work the rest of it, including today (Saturday) and tomorrow. I was able to run three times, though, so that's a good start. It's been bitterly cold, which means a couple of those runs were on the treadmill.

Tuesday was the best run, with 4 miles through Crystal City, past Reagan National Airport, and beside the Potomac River. The temp was in the mid-40's, it was dark, I could see the lights across the river, and jets were taking off over my head. Lots of bikes with headlights coming from DC to points south. All in all a memorable run.

Thursday there was snow on the ground, leftovers from Tuesday's storm, so I ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill. Nothing exceptional to report on that one.

Or today's, either. 6 miles on the treadmill between taking honorable daughter #1 to breakfast and honorable son to baseball practice. Then off to work for a few hours. And speaking of bitter cold, it's supposed to get down to 0 degrees tonight. I believe I'll stay inside.

Destination: Dallas

Even though I "ran" a 5k Turkey Trot with my girls on Thanksgiving, today is what I would consider my first real run since the Route 66 Marathon. With almost four weeks elapsed since then my body seems to have had enough time to heal. Even after the Turkey Trot my hip was hurting, so it's nice to be pain-free today.

I went out for a 3-miler that included calibrating my Nike iPod sensor. The temperature was reasonable and the sky was clear. All in all a nice December day.

Sunday is the 16-week mark from my next goal, which is to run the Big D Texas Marathon. Last year I was there for the half, so this time around will the whole nine yards. And after a somewhat disappointing outcome in Tulsa, I'm ready to set a PR this time around. The fun is just beginning!