Sounds Like a Plan

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Days Run: 32 Nancy's 2013 Mileage: 93.5 Elly's 2013 Mileage: 46.5 Money Found For Food Bank: $9.90

I am happy -- really happy -- to report, before I say anything more about today's run, I did not fall down even one time. Oh the opportunity was there, but I didn't answer those knocks!!

It was almost 40 degrees at the time Elly and I headed out (which is such a shift in temperature that I had to stand and think about what I wear when it's 40 ...), and I was looking forward to hitting the streets! Fortunately, I did a last minute re-route because I anticipated sidewalks I normally rely on would not be accessible due to lingering snow and ice. While I was right about that, and while my re-routing saved me a bunch of hassle, there was about a quarter-mile stretch that, while having been cleared, has melting snow draining and refreezing on it overnight. I was thankful there was just enough (frozen) grass alongside the sidewalk so there was somewhere to go; I was more thankful I didn't bite it the number of times my feet found ice when I didn't see it. We'll count that stretch in the mileage even though the only sweat I broke was out of nervous, fall-on-my-butt fear. It was covered nonetheless.

Oh, and I fully intended to show you a picture of this treacherous stretch except I managed to forget my memory card. So, I'll just show you a pic of me and the pooch from when we got home:

The rest of the route was in decent-to-good shape, so I'm hopeful conditions will only improve (and not backtrack!) from here! It's amazing to me how ... what's the word I'll use ... underprepared? ... I feel about April's Half. It's actually more amazing to me that it's not freaking me out. The way I see it is either I get in 6 or 7 solid weeks of good running and fulfill the vision I've had for that run, OR I deal with the fact that I can't control the weather and just give it whatever I have at the time, no expectations required. I take that back: I expect to have fun. That is my priority. The chips can fall wherever from there, I'd just appreciate (a) not having an injury, and (b) no lightening.

The best thing is I honestly do not care however April's Half shakes out at this point. I was bothered a bit when I hurt my leg, and the ice compounded a wee little rattle inside that was nagging at me (because of the hopes I've put on this run). I'm pretty much past that at this point. I just have to see what's presented for training opportunities, take full advantage of what I get, and devise the best have-fun plan for that day based on what I'm ready to do.

And, that sounds like an awesome plan to me!

And, neither is my running. But, we both are awesome.

Speaking of awesome, today's run was not without its monetary riches! Check it out:

That's 65 cents for the morning, baby! Watching for ice, watching for money: Totally the same movement and sense of balance! Elly hasn't been running with me in so long that she had to get back in the swing of suddenly stopping for cash. Frankly, she was all kinds of ditzy on the run from beginning to end. I think the fresh air went to her brain and messed her up.

Well, that's one step forward in the right direction to getting back outside on a regular basis! I suspect it'll be another week or so until the ice issue is behind us as things continue to refreeze overnight, but I'm starting to see the light!

Hang in there when circumstances out of your control are poking at you. Like many have said, it's not what you are handed, it's what you do with what you are handed. Or, something like that. We'll see how things go with the warm day-cold night issue again tomorrow, and I'll check in and let you know how it went!