Back Out There

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 182.8 (running: 90.6; walking: 8.4; biking: 83.8) Money Found For Food Bank: $23.10

2,015 in 2015 Change Hounds progress: Nancy: 182.8 Aaron: 159.15 (b: 134.15; w: 16)  Elly: 29.3 Total: 371.25

Morning wind chill: 2 degrees. Running decision: GO!

Good golly, I almost felt like a caged animal that had been set free! You see, I wasn't running fast enough to be a caged animal that had escaped. Just set free. Running with decorum. It's been a little more than a week since getting in a run outside, and I felt it! The bike is extremely useful, but the difference in now my muscles felt were evident once out and about! Everything shook out and will likely be all back together by tomorrow, but I admit to being a bit nervous at the beginning of today's run about how these three miles would go, much less Saturday's 8. I've decided it will all be fine, and that's just how it's going to be!

I'm free!!!

I also decided since I have the ever-so-slightest evidence of cough remaining that I would take something along with me to cover my mouth if need be. It's the straight shot of cold wind to the back of my throat that brought that whole thing on, so I figured I would try to ward it off. I have a face mask, but it goes over my whole head with no way of pulling it down. It's on, or it's off, so that wasn't going to work. I finally decided I should just utilize one of my many ear warmers. It hung around my neck when not needed over my mouth, and I pulled it up when I ran into the wind. PRESTO: Totally worked.

At one point, I had it not over my mouth but around my face keeping my cheeks warm. I looked like someone who needs ice packs affixed to the face, kind of like after having wisdom teeth removed. I bet it was a super-cute look. I would have photographed, but I was concentrating on the ice to prevent my butt from greeting the sidewalk!

I was hopeful in the money-finding department, but I kept my hopes low given the route and how many meters are still riddled with snow and ice at their bases. Surprisingly, I still scored 51 cents. Just think of what that means when this all melts especially if I'm the first to prowl ...

Here's that super-cool spot Elly and I recently scoped, but now there's ice over much of the water:

And, in other Wintery scenes, I was fortunate that this didn't happen too often along the way:

Sidewalk: Cleared but blocked. So, there were a couple of times I had to channel my inner billy goat, and I was able to move onward!

Tomorrow's a shorter run, but, weather depending, I might tack on some walk time, too, because I am feeling a need to get some time on my feet before the weekend long run. So, that's likely tomorrow's plan, but I'll decide when I get out there. Two miles are on the books, and that's a given. Before signing off, I just have to mention how weird it is to have these training runs in the super cold and with snow and ice only to think about the fact that I'm training for a run where the concern might be getting over heated ... just sayin' ...

Stay warm, even though I know that's not an easy task right now, and I'll check in after the morning run!