8 dark and rainy miles

New England weather can be a little… weird.  It’s been a freezing cold December and January, heck, it was a freezing NOVEMBER, when I ran the coldest race of my life at 10 degrees!  Then out of nowhere comes one day in the 50’s with rain.  Don’t worry, though, tomorrow will be back to a nice and normal 13 degree high.  Just in time to freeze all the rain that hit today.

Awesome.

Like many runners in the area, I felt compelled to take advantage with a long run outside.  When I dropped Will off at school, I didn’t wear a hat, mittens, or a jacket… and yet I felt no pain.  I couldn’t see my breath, and the caress of 55 degree wind in January felt to me like a Caribbean breeze.

Of course… I couldn’t go for my run until my babysitter arrived at 4, so when I actually went for my run, it was 47, getting colder fast, and raining.  The puddles of melting snow were unavoidable, especially since it got dark only a few miles in.

In spite of the rain and the darkness, I had a great run.  Smart layering and gratitude it was warm enough to want to run outside for more than half an hour compensated for reality.  It would have been amazing to run at the peak of the day when the warmth was at its height and the precipitation a bit lower, but that wasn’t how my cards played out, and I’m lucky to have a babysitter so I can go at all.  More of an adventure this way, really.

Greg bought me a head lamp for Christmas, so I can run in the dark.  At first, I thought this was complete overkill and an over-dramatic way to ensure that cars could see me, despite the fact that I’m often running on sidewalks.  Now, I realize the headlamp is all that’s between me and a sprained ankle as I navigate snowbanks and potholes and curbs.

It works pretty well.  It does not, unfortunately, look as stunning on me as it does on Will.

I still landed in enough puddles to come home with completely soaked feet.  Every time my feet felt warm again, it seemed like I sloshed them all over again and my body heat had to start heating the cold snowy water up before I would no longer notice it.

I didn’t realize I could run with my feet and shoes soaking wet and not feel it… but as soon as they warmed up from my running, I was fine until the next puddle.

I intended to run closer to ten miles, but the rain and dark and lack of a race registration prior to June made 8.2 seem just right.

I listened to “Once A Runner” by John Parker, Jr. my entire run, and I’m loving it.  I may actually start calling myself a jogger after reading it, because it’s such a startling reminder of how little I actually run, and how low my pain and endurance thresh-holds really are.  As I listen to the way these elite athletes train, it seems illogical to apply the same word to what they do when they put their sneakers on, and what I do.  Good for them.  Good for me.  I’ll have to write more about the book soon – it’s very enjoyable thus far.

Until then… I’ll just be grateful that 8.2 miles is my longest run this week, and no one is counting on me to run a 20 miler and then compete in track the next day.  Whew.