Snowy Training Day

Today rocked the house so hard core. I woke up to several inches of snow, cold temps, and it was still dumping. PIC, who is usually a little bit more sane than me opted for the treadmill, but then she texted me that the roads were a mess. Rather than drive to the gym, I hunted down and stole Troys YakTrax (I literally wore out mine), bundled up with 3 layers on top, and hit the state park. (have I told you I live literally next door to a state park with 30 miles of trails?)

I was out there laying down first tracks of the day, which made me feel like quite the pioneer. I had some tempo efforts to hit today so I ran out to a flat section of road in the state park that I use for these sorts of things when the track is snowy (between my house and the state park is an all-weather track, so I guess you could say I live next to the track which lives next to the state park).

I got going on the road, a 0.75 mile section that I would cover 8 times today, and a guy came by me in a car, then he came by the other way, then he pulled over in front of me and stopped. This is always an alarming action for a female runner. I was giving him the "don't abduct and kill me look" also known as the "stink eye" as I ran on by him. Then the next effort I'm coming back by him and his car is in the ditch. Strange, very strange. Then the next time by there was a park ranger, next time two park rangers, next time they are discussing what to do, next time they are hooking up his car to ropes, next time they had pulled him out, next time everyone is gone. It was the strangest series of snapshots while I ran back and forth and back and forth ad infinitum.

I ran on home through the snow after my efforts, feeling beastly and studly, and generaly very Grrr.

The next workout later in the day PIC and I met at the pool. We had to do a main set of 10x400 at IM effort on :15 rest. It seems simple but it's a doozy. We are in the meter pool, so it's an IM+ swim, at IM pace, with a little bit of rest in there. Ouch. We also did it in the outdoor pool in 25 degree weather while it was snowing. This may seem very Grrr, but it's actually one of the more enjoyable weather situations to swim in. It's fun to be outside, in a swimsuit, totally warm (after the first 100) in the snow. Greenwood Athletic Club rocks in that they keep the pool at a solid 82 degrees year round, and it's days like this where I feel blessed to be able to train outdoors.

The workout was awesome evil. I held on pretty darn well as long as you ignore #9 where I suddenly came in 10 seconds slower than all my other ones because I was loosing focus. Doh! It was the kind of swim where you have trouble washing your hair afterwards. I had to prop up my elbows on the inside walls of the shower to get it done. Even though PIC was out of the pool, and back in the locker room, sitting in the hot tub before I even did 9 of them, it was still nice to have her company. I always pick it up when she laps me, and that helps keep me honest and motivated. She laps me often.

All in all, today was such a rewarding day. Good work done in bad weather. Today felt like an adventure. I'm just so darn happy to be back training and looking forward to a new season. Today reminded me that most times I tend to find the adventure in adversity, and that makes me happy.

LASTLY, Kompetitive Edge is having a rather LARGE sale on TYR clothes, KSWISS, and Mix1. I would hit it up!!