Ice Ice Baby

It has been a while since I’ve had a bad run, so it was probably in due time.

I wanted so badly to run outside today because it was 45*. . . .FORTY-FIVE!! It felt like a heat wave after last week’s single digits. But this is what the conditions looked like today–ice and water everywhere.

Kind of like this song. . . .

Cullen really liked dancing to the music!

I was literally on my way to the gym to run on the treadmill this morning when I made a last-minute decision to run outside. As I was driving to the gym, the main roads didn’t seem too bad. Plus I would have my studded shoes which would help, right?

I got changed and bundled Cullen up. (Yes, I also had to push the stroller across the ice rink. Actually it probably helped me from falling since I could balance on it.) As soon as I took two steps on the road, I knew I had made the wrong decision. But it was too late now because the child care at the gym would have closed before I was able to finish my workout.

I run-skated along at a blazing speed of 11 minutes per mile. ELEVEN!! Ugh, I’m not even sure that pace remotely helps to become faster. The plan called for 5 miles, but after 4.5 miles and 50 minutes of running, I was done. Actually Cullen was getting fussy too, which was another reason I called it quits.

Every year we have weather like this, and I get so excited because it is often after a cold snap, but then I try to run outside and remember why that doesn’t work. I thought about including ‘tips for running outside on the ice’ in this blog post, but then I decided my advice would be: don’t do it! Stay inside. It isn’t worth it!

Backing up to yesterday (Monday) when I did do run on the treadmill. My workout was 4 x 400 @ 5:55 pace. It went well, but I kept thinking, “How do elite women run this pace (and faster!) for the entire marathon!”

The total mileage was 8 miles, and I had to run a little faster at the end to make sure I got all 8 miles done before the treadmill shut down after an hour. (I hate having to start it back up again after that happens.)

Some other random happenings from around here. While shopping at Target, Craig picked out this stocking for himself. Go figure.

I got a good portion of this blog post done while Cullen was taking his bath. He loves playing in the bathtub and could stay there for hours.

Tomorrow I run inside!