Oh wow...snow!

Yep....it's snowing yet again...and it's supposed to bring us close to 7" by the time it ends. It's hard to believe we had only had 10.7" this time last year. We had a little bit Saturday night/Sunday morning - just enough to mess up the streets again. I will take snow instead of ice any day, though. And with the promise of warmer temperatures coming later this week some of this will hopefully melt at least a couple of layers.

Thank goodness I got in two runs this weekend! I did 4.2 with the NSRC at Dick Pond St. Charles Saturday morning, and then did 4.1 the next day with the group again as part of the #runlove event they were sponsoring. We did the same route as the day before, but in reverse. There were many hills mixed in on the route, and it was definitely tougher the second day. It felt great to get out there and push myself, though.

After I finished my last post on Saturday, my day went downhill fast. I found out that someone had stolen my debit card number, apparently hacking into my account, and completely wiped out every last penny that had just been deposited on Friday. I felt so violated, and dealing with the bank was so frustrating! Essentially I have to wait for the purchase to be released before I can dispute them. Just one more headache I don't need.

I could have turned to the comfort of a full box of Tagalong Girl Scout cookies (I'd be lying if I said I didn't contemplate that), or finished up that bottle of wine in my fridge. But damn it - these thieves have already made me lose control on one area of my life, and I wasn't going to let them take another part. So I asked Chad if he would take the boys to church on Sunday so I could join the Dick Pond group for the fun run. I wanted - no, needed - to be with the friends I love, and get my frustration out on the hills.

That fun run was exactly what I needed! It was actually over 20 degrees, and there was a great turnout. Plus, with a $10 purchase everyone could receive a #runlove/I love Dick Pond mug. I had $15 in Runner Rewards, and they were offering 10% off purchases as well. So I was able to get a lovely pair of SmartWool socks and the mug for $0.51 - yay!

I rounded out the morning with coffee at Arcedium with my lovely friends (thanks to the gift card I still have from there), and felt so much lighter. It's amazing what running and great conversation can do for my soul!

Now if it this snow would just melt quickly off the roads so I can get back out there for some more miles this week!

Glorious run this morning!!!

Ever have one of those runs that just feels incredible??? I've had a few here and there, but something about this morning's run just clicked. Yes, it was about 0 degrees when we started...and yes, it was a hilly course. But from start to finish it was amazing!!

Jitka was so sweet to offer to pick me up so I'd be sure to make it to Dick Pond this morning for run club. It's so hard to get out of my nice, warm bed on a Saturday morning when the sun is still sleeping and it's well below freezing. But with Jitka coming to drive me, I rolled out of bed at 6:00 and layered up.

It was wonderful seeing so many friends when we got to the store this morning! I joined up with the group going 4.1 miles, and just as we all set off the sun was coming up over the trees and buildings....it was beautiful!

Amy and I set into a comfortable pace (at least for me...I may have slowed her down lol!), and wound our way through the industrial area and lovely neighborhoods on the west side of the river. Of course, along with the charming homes came a lot of hills! I was determined to keep plugging along, and knowing that Amy was by my side was what kept me running. We did have to stop for a few seconds to cross Route 31, and I'm pretty sure that's the moment when I realized my lower half was essentially frozen. We were almost back to the store, though, so we kicked it up a notch and made it back in one piece.

Oh, it was so lovely to get back in and thaw out! My face was covered in frost, and my hair was crispy with ice. We stretched out with the group, and headed out for coffee at Arcedium with the crew (thank goodness for bringing warm, dry clothes!). Warming up, sipping awesome coffee, and laughing with friends was the best way to start my weekend. I can't wait to make it back to Run Club again!

Thank you sunshine!

You know that saying "if you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get out there"? Well, that has been so true for me. Although, in all honesty, it just hasn't been safe to get on the roads to log some miles. I could try the trails, but from what I could see it's marked by many different footprints - which I'm sure have been affected by freezing and additional snow. 

But today it actually felt decent after we left brunch after church this morning, so I dragged out the layers, gloves, hat, and SmartWool neck-warmer and started bundling up. Matt and Nathan had youth group at 1:00, so after dropping them off I hit the streets of Geneva for some miles. I have a half marathon in 3 months, so training starts now.

It was cold, but the houses blocked most of the wind and the sun was out, making it seem warmer than it really was. Either that, or I'm just getting used to temperatures in the teens. Some of the roads were pretty clear, although the less-traveled roads were still covered with a layer of fresh snow. I plugged along, and was able to log 4.37 miles in about 47 minutes. My Garmin had me at 4.1, but I knew I had gone further than that since I did an out-and-back with a few extra blocks added in. 

Just another day in Chiberia!

It was glorious to get out in the fresh air and soak up some vitamin D!! My hamstring still gives me a little grief, but not like it used to. I seem to have found right where it needs the foam roller, and that's keeping it a bit looser for me. The weather is still going to be cold for the next few days (although after watching the Olympic story on Siberia, I'm starting to put the cold in perspective!), but they're calling for low 30s on Thursday. I'll stick to my 30 Day Shred for the next few days, and then get back out for some short runs later this week.

So....how many of you are so ready for Spring miles?

How is it already February???

So I thought 2013 went by really fast....it appears that 2014 is on the same track! Sadly the weather seems stuck in January, though. It's still super-cold (although I think I'm getting a little loony...22 felt warm), and it snowed on Saturday and it's supposed to snow again tomorrow/Wednesday.

I had a wonderful run through the snow yesterday on the trails at Fabyan East with some of my awesome running friends. Pat L. is so great at scheduling winter trail runs, and I really wanted to get out for some fresh air. Luckily Chad agreed to take the kids to church, so I was able to meet up with the crew.

I only did about 2.7 miles, but it felt like at least double that with running through several inches of snow at times. And my hip/hamstring have confirmed that today! I was sore after sitting at work, so decided to take tonight off from working out. I'm happy with the five days I got in last week, but I'm going to have to start running a lot more....those half marathons I want to do won't run themselves!

On a weight note - only down 0.4 lbs, but as Chad said it's down instead of up. I did indulge in a couple of cookies last night at a Super Bowl party, but the rest of the week went really well food-wise. Gotta love being a woman ;-). I'm planning on 4-5 days of workouts, and want to hopefully get out for at least three decent runs. Let's hope the snowstorms stay away!