a couple more runs

This weekend I focused my attention to getting out for a run each day. The weather on Saturday was not optimal by any means, but I wanted, no - I needed to - get out for a good, long run. My plan was for 7 miles and I was going to stick to it no matter what. With all of the snow that was still lying around, I focused my attention to plowed, paved pavement. In order to not compete with cars on the much narrower streets that we are dealing with, I made my way to the park to run. Plus, the hills in the park were sure to add a level of difficulty that I haven't had in a long run.

Earlier in the morning it was a "balmy" 8 degrees. I think when I got out it was probably 10, but with a wind chill, more like 5... it was a bit cold. I dressed as best I could for the conditions and headed out. My hands were cold for the first 3 miles, then they were warm enough, but then my legs started to get cold after mile 4. I ended up running a 2.33 +/- mile loop and after the first 2 laps I was bored and was dreading the last lap. I hit the big hill on the route and it was all I could do to get to the top. I had to walk half way up... ouch! It'd been awhile since I needed to walk up any hill, but I was tired. I got to the top and picked it back up and finished out my run. I checked my time and saw I averaged an 8:47/mile pace... surprisingly not bad.

Sunday was a much, much nicer day. It was well above freezing - probably around 38 - 40 degrees with plenty of sunshine. It felt great. I hit the trails for a short 4 mile run. It turned out to be a good idea for a short run as the trails were tough - the snow was packed down, but because of the temperature it was getting soft and squishy in spots so it was quite a workout on the ankles. Made it out to a paved surface and opted to finish my run on this.

I am hoping to get back to more consistent runs during the week still, but not sure how I will manage it just yet. Two weeks until my 5k race - still time to get my speed up.