Snow, Snow and More Snow

This is what it looked like on my run last night. We haven't had snow like this (2 that blizzards within days of each other) in 25 years. I remember the last one in 1984...MN is known for it's cold, not so much the snow. What I remember as a kid was actually a fluke thing. What this means though...yesterday was March 1st...March came in like a Lion...early spring!! (not to mention the ground hog did not see his shadow this year!!)

I can’t believe I haven’t had a chance to update my blog now in a couple of days. And here I’ve even made some big decisions and I have yet to share them but with a few. I went for a run on Monday of 6 miles during my lunch, it was painful to a degree, but we had had snow, parts of the path weren’t plowed, was a bit slippery and a pain. Tuesday I was out, things weren’t feeling much better and I was supposed to do a 10 mile with 5 at LT pace of around 7:45…umm, knew that wasn’t going to happen. I’m just so not ready for that pace right now. I then and there decided that with everything going on (and just another recent disappointment in trying to find a place to stay) Grandma’s is out. I don’t have the motivation to push my training, things are still tight and hurting a bit and I just want to run just to run. I don’t want to train for it. If I wanted to, I could run and finish it, but if I’m going to run it again I’m going to PR and that just isn’t something I feel my training is going to attain this time through. So now I’m just running to run. That decided on that run, while I didn’t make the 7:45 paces for the 5 miles, I did hit some pretty intense hills and did 7 miles at an 8:30 pace. (yeah, I couldn’t get the 10/5 because I had work on Tuesday night) The last couple being sub 8 which is fastest I’ve fun in a long time. No Garmin today so I can’t post exact paces. Yesterday I ran 6.25 miles, over the same path and should’ve been a bit easier and it actually was just under 9 minute pace so again not bad. I think taking the stress off myself might be helping. I am bummed about losing registration fee and part of me still wants to do it and I might still train it, but without a place to stay and worse yet, no one guaranteed to come with me, I just don’t see it happening. Also today I’m supposed to be doing a 10 mile and we had snow last night and are expecting more this afternoon…I’m going to go out in it, but don’t know that I’ll get 10 miles in. And tomorrow is typically an off day, I’m going to run, but I have to work too, so no time for a longer run. We’ll see what happens over the weekend too. I’m running now more for fitness and weight loss than anything and I kind of like that. I don’t like pressuring myself to have to run this or that. I want to do intervals again, when weather permits, but I don’t want to HAVE to do this type or that…

In other news…I finally made a decision on my living situation. I had been on this whole, do I buy something else here, do I stay where I am or do I sell and move out of state…well, I’ve found areas and places that I kind of like and I decided yesterday I need to get my place on the market and move to one of the areas I really want to live in. In fact I think I have found the place I want. I haven’t seen it physically yet but it’s on the same street as one of my closest friends, is in an area reasonably close to everything I like to do and places I like to be, AND is at an affordable price after I ran some numbers…sooo…that means I need to get my place in saleable shape and on the market ASAP. My goal is Monday the 12th to list, and sooner if possible but I have so much I need to do to reduce clutter and make it viewable. Wish I had had it on the market sooner of course cause the place I want I know will be gone before I get mind sold…however, I did just order one of these that should arrive about the same time I’m going to list, so hopefully that will prompt something! Oh, and I talked to the mortgage people I'm planning to work with and as I suspected I'm approved...mortgage payment scares me a little as something was off on my calculations a little, but it's still doable and I'm still going ahead. Might mean having to stay at B&N for a while (or find a roommate which is the plan...I'll have a 2 stall garage on either of the two I'm looking for!!).

So back to the storms...We got hit on Saturday with one blizzard and Wednesday and yesterday gave us more. My boss told us to leave yesterday at about 1:30, and that was just shortly after we had gotten back from the thank you lunch they had taken us out for. It's just unreal though, how much snow we got. Enjoy the pics. These were taken from home and during the 6 miles I plodded through the snow (in 59:05...yes, it was a bit slow, and not the 10 on my schedule, but I think it probably should count for at least 8 plowing through what I was at times, and the slippery spots, and watching for the cars!).

This is what was happening about the time I decided to go run. Those would be my mailboxes and no, it hasn't been plowed yet!

My balcony around 2 pm yesterday. This included the snow from last weekend too, yes, I do know I need to get it cleared off!


You can't see it quite as well as I had hoped, but the prints on the left were from when I left the house, the ones on the right were right after I got back. It filled in that much in just under an hour. Some of them I couldn't even find. Oh, and I had taken my shoes off before running out to take the picture...I was in stocking feet in the snow!!

Balcony after all the snow was finally done, well, kind of. This was this morning and we are supposed to get maybe 3 more inches. I did make it into work though this morning. And I have running stuff with me, so am going to attempt a run at lunch.

Officially In...

What is that you are wondering? That would be the back of my cancelled check. I don't have the card yet that says I'm officially in Grandma's, but with the fact that they cashed my check, that means I'm in. Not there I had much doubt I would get in, I did register early enough, but this makes it 100% official. Now I really have to find a place to stay. Camping prior to a marathon so not the best option in so many ways, sleeping on hard ground (I can get a hold of an air mattress, but still not great necessarily for sleeping on), being in a tent, which I'm not used to (I love camping, but haven't been in ages), breakfast over a campfire the next morning (very, very early), etc...there are defintiely issues. The dorms, only slightly better because you have shared rooms, people going in and out at all hours, none of the, I'm going to bed, everyone else has to as well and be quiet thing...but both of those options are better than the 3 hour drive to Duluth from home...I could probably get the race packet delivered (I did see that for $25 you could do that so I woudn't have to be up there Friday, but then I'd miss the race expo)....Anyway, one day soon I need to start calling hotels and getting my name on the wait list. Back up, there is always the hope mom and dad will come up with their 5th wheel. I slept in it the day before my PR. Of course where will all my invitees sleep then?

Ask a Stupid Question…

Today I finished my run at lunch time (7 miles, 1:04:40) and was back in the locker room and a woman was in there changing, looked at me coming in, obviously dressed for outside and asked, “Is it cold?” with amazement in her voice…OK, it’s January, we live in Minnesota, what do you think? Of course it’s cold. The temp when I left my desk to go run said 22 feels like 18, it’s now 23 feels like 19. Not a big difference, but in most peoples minds, 20s, below freezing, that’s cold. I myself find that to be very cold. But I am having issues with the treadmill so I’m adapting. I dress for the weather. So another answer to the question is, that no, it’s not cold, because I dressed for it, plus I was running…you run, you create body heat, with no windchill and temps in the 20s and the right clothes, 20s can almost be balmy. So I made my announcement about Grandma’s yesterday. I have the registration form in the mail, now I’m trying to find a place to stay. Of course all rooms are sold out and have been for months, but they do open up as people’s plans change, I need to call hotels and get on a list to have a room reserved if something does open up. There are always the dorms as an option too. I have to call on them in March. The University of Minnesota has a branch up there and for Grandma’s weekend they offer the dorms for rent for the night for $20 or so I think, so that’s my back up option…that and camping. Another thought, there are campgrounds nearby, I do have a tent…doesn’t sound like the best sleeping conditions though for prior to a marathon, but it will do in a pinch. I also invited J2 to come up there with me, working on my support crew, maybe I can even get him to run in part of it with me, I might need the help later in the race.

I’m 20 weeks out. I have the training plan I’m going to use and it’s even in excel, if I can figure out best way to do it, I’m going to try to link it to my blog…I’m also still doing a few adjustments to it and figuring out exactly which plan I’m going to use because the first couple of weeks of the 55 miles plan is a little shorter on miles than I’m at right now, but maybe that’s good because today’s run still felt sluggish. My legs were just dead feeling. Is it because of the fact that I have run in so much slush and glop the last few days that I am more tired than I think? I have run everyday since last Wednesday (although I did just have a 7 day week and it felt just fine), but I haven’t been doing any “hard” workouts, no speed work, not hard hill repeats or anything, just running, so you’d think I would be fine. Anyway, I ended the run today with 10 x 100 meter strides with a 50 jog recovery on it…they were kind of hard…I was on at least dry roads (most of what I ran today was dry, but it was quite hilly, could be part of why I was feeling sluggish I suppose). It is nice though that the workout is done, means I can run errands after work, go home, do some ab stuff, clean up a bit and finally put my Christmas stuff away (yes, I’m one of those) and still relax for the evening. Tomorrow I think I’ll just cross and strength train and skip a run…or maybe I’ll take Thursday off…we’ll see what tomorrow brings…

Decision Time

I said in January I would make a decision on any marathons I might run this year, that is if I was even going to run one. I've been maintaining my mileage (long runs of up to 15 miles, mileage in the lower 30s to mid 40s), keeping up with running 5-6 days, even 7 at times in a week. I am definitely at a good base and ready for any new challenges this year. I've been mulling things in my mind, and my registration form came in the mail on Saturday (I didn't actually get it till Sunday as I didn't get the mail on Saturday). I have it filled out, I have a few potential options on places to stay if no hotels open up (they are full right now, but things usually come open as people change their minds, they just book well in advance to keep options open), I just have to write the check and put it in an envelope...once I do that, I'm committed...if I don't do that soon, the marathon will fill up. Of course if I didn't get in, there is a 2nd option that would use the same training time and plan...I always said I didn't want to repeat a course. If I'm going to run 26.2 miles, I want to do it in different places...but then again, I think I decided it was the optimal course for my goal this year. And if not, it's perfect timing to have my backup plan...(or two)...

I think I am going to do it though. I need a goal. I need a race. I need a plan. And I need to get some of the stupid thoughts and ideas from last weekend out of my head!! A new focus. It will keep me from going out as often, which is honestly a good thing. (not that I consider going out once a week all that often)

So....I guess Grandma's it is...I just wrote the check.

Tonight I'll be refining my training schedule (I'm going to use Pfitzinger's 18 weeks, 55 miles or less slightly modified because I want a few weeks a little higher than 55 miles and I'm at 20 weeks right now and I want to get started on a training plan this week), locating the tune-up races I want to put in (one or two of them are already in place) and working more on lossening up this damn hamstring so everything will be a go in June...