This week's schedule included two 10-mile runs. I planned to run Tuesday's 10 miles outside, but woke to howling winds and freezing temperatures. And although I'm usually more than willing to tough it out in almost any kind of weather, on Tuesday I just wasn't in the mood. So I headed to the Y and got it done on the treadmill.
I actually wasn't that bummed about it. I can't even remember the last time I ran on the treadmill, and I was really mostly just glad that I had the option to stay inside where it was warm, and I could run in shorts and a tank top.
And as luck would have it, a friend was running on the treadmill that day, too, and we were able to run side by side for a little while, which was nice. Between that and a podcast or two, the time went by relatively fast. It was an easy-paced run, and I think I averaged in the low 8s, but I did crank up the speed for the last two miles, just to get done sooner!
Thursday's weather was a little better, so I ran outside, and it was again an easy effort. I didn't want to push myself too much this week, after the speedwork, tempo, and 20-mile run last week. Still babying the right hip a little, so I thought a slightly easier week would be a good thing. It was a nice break mentally, too.
As the week progressed, I was keeping a close eye on the weather, as they had been talking about a potentially significant weekend snowstorm. Due to scheduling issues, Saturday was going to be the only day I could get in my 17-mile long run, but as I watched the weather, I was considering moving it up to Friday to avoid getting caught in the snow.
I waited until Friday morning to make the final call, but ended up deciding to do the long run on Saturday as planned. The snow wasn't supposed to start until mid-morning, so I figured if I got an early start, I'd be done before the roads got snowy.
That meant I was able to do my scheduled 6 miles and yoga class on Friday (I had been really bummed about the possibility of missing yoga, and I have to admit, that was a big factor in my decision, as the Friday class is one of my favorites). I loved that I was running six miles on the day that this little guy turned six years old, too :-)
As I left the house Saturday morning, I could tell the wind was going to be a major factor. And when I got to the beach, I saw very quickly that if we wanted to get the windy part out of the way first, we'd have to run North from the beach. I ran a quick mile solo, then met up with Laurel, a new member of the club (not so new to the club, but someone I had never run with before), and we ran about a half mile before meeting up with Mary.
The wind on the way out was crazy. So loud it was hard to hear each other talk, but we managed, and as always, chatting made the miles go by much faster. It was a huge relief to turn around and head back, though, and so nice to have that tailwind the entire way back to the beach.
Mary was done at that point, but Laurel and I headed back out for another 3.5. We went the other direction, towards a more sheltered area, hoping to avoid the worst of the wind, and it wasn't too terrible in some areas. But as we came back toward the beach, it was like walking into a wall. We turned the corner to head back to the parking lot, and there were a few times I honestly almost got blown sideways. The wind had to have been gusting well over 30mph.
It had started snowing now, too, so we were also getting pelted with snow - and when we got back to the parking lot, there was some sand thrown in the mix, too. I had hit 17 miles at this point, but Laurel had another 1/2 mile to go, so I ran back and forth in the parking lot with her. It was really comical at that point. Not only were we running in a January Nor'Easter, but we were running laps in a parking lot just to make sure her Garmin clicked over to get the exact mileage she was aiming for, instead of being happy with 16.75. A perfect example of why people say runners are crazy.
We didn't linger and chat after the run - it was way too cold, and I just wanted to get home and get into some warm, dry clothes.
A breakfast of pancakes with fruit and toasted almonds was the perfect way to recover, and I was perfectly content to spend the remainder of the day inside watching the snow fall.
Winter training in New England is no joke. We've been very spoiled so far this year, and the midweek freezing temps and this weekend's snow were a good reminder that it is in fact still winter, and there could be a lot more of that type of weather ahead. I'm prepared, and after running in Saturday's crazy conditions, I feel like I'm up for whatever other challenges winter has in store.
All in all, it was a great week. No big concerns with pace, as it was all easy running, but I got the miles in and felt good, and am happy to cross off another week of training. Twelve weeks to go, and I have a feeling it's going to fly by.
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