Cold has returned…

And I don’t like it…not one bit. After some warmup, which we deserved (I’m past the whole it’s winter in MN and I should expect the crap, we had a much colder than normal December and January was worse than January has been in a few years. Plus last year spring came really, really late, and fall came on time, if not just a tiny bit early…so sorry, we deserve an early spring and I want it now!! It was back below 0 again here…but thankfully we did have warm last week and the week before that melted a ton of snow. If only this wasn’t MN and we know that it will eventually come back (in March even, we are notorious for getting a big storm in March, or two or three!).

Running…well, should I go down that one? That Mojo, that is hiding somewhere, disappeared again. I had that great run last week and now it’s back to being painful and sucking…well, not painful except painful to get through, but you get the drift. I’m just not sure what more to do and I’m extremely frustrated by it feeling so difficult. I recall times when the good running days far outnumbered the bad, but right now the bad far outnumber the good and I need something to help that. I’m 8 ½ weeks from Boston and I have no clue that to expect since the training just hasn’t’ been there like it needs to be for a good run. I know Boston had been meant to be “just for fun” but a part of me wanted to maybe shoot for a good time, even a PR maybe, but this time of year for training, combined with the same problem I was having in 2007 only on the other side and it not seeming to want to fix itself, I just can’t seem to get there. Can I run and finish Boston? Yes…is it going to be nice…not so sure…I have a little time yet to get a few good runs in, but nowhere near the time to get the good quality training in, and you know what…I can’t seem to get the motivation into my body for it. I read things to motivate myself. Just re-read my race report for Twin Cities and I remembered the emotions. I re-read comments I had made about the pride of my dad. I have been reading tips on doing Boston. And all of this gets to me. I feel teary eyed. I feel excited. I remember what this all means…and then I go to run and my body betrays me. The mind is in it. The body just decided to abandon me and I’m not sure what to do about it.

I know many of you are battling injuries and have some things going on that are preventing the joy and such of running and you can’t wait to get back, if you even will be able to. And I feel bad, typing this, when I know that many of you are wishing to be in my position. Yes, I qualified for Boston. Yes, I know it’s not an easy feat. Yes, I know that many will never be able to make that qualifier…but it doesn’t make it any less an issue for myself right now, in my selfish instance in time right at this moment, where I’m feeling pity for myself and wishing I could get it all figured out.

This weekend I’m trying to motivate for what is scheduled as a 20 miler. If I don’t make 20, I’m not going to beat myself up, but I’m hopeful. I have no other plans this weekend, so can do it whichever day feels better for it. Probably Sunday but we’ll see. I also have things to look forward to. Next weekend, Food and Wine Experience…yes, so much wine, so little time…and one of my best friends in the world is going to be in town. I haven’t seen her in a year and I’m so excited. It’s been a really long time since she’s been here too, and we have plenty of good things to see and do and things I’m going to show her that she hasn’t been around for. Then next month MNFirefly, and her new fiancée, as her and Josh just got engaged, will be here, and we’ll get to go out and celebrate, although Josh has threatened to punch me, so not sure I’ll get close enough to him to extend congrats…they will be having a long engagement, but looking forward to the celebration when it happens. Then a week after they are here I’m heading out to Buffalo/Niagara for that little concert…and then 3 weeks to the day of when I get back from that trip I’ll be running from Hopkinton to Boston. Then a month after that I’m planning to be in San Francisco to finally see a city I’ve wanted to go to forever and visit a good friend of mine that moved there a year ago. Might even run a fun little race I’ve been dying to do out there…sometime in June or July I owe a trip to Chicago…then August there is the Ragnar relay…possibly a fall marathon (I’m still contemplating Nike Women’s if I can get into it, having that friend to visit and all)…so yes, lots coming up…not to mention school and work to keep me busy…and I have lots to be thankful for, but it still doesn’t keep me from feeling that let down about my running right now. We do have to live in the now as well as the future…

Update

So I'm thinking more and more it was PMS more so than SAD. I've actually been trying to force a bad mood this week and it's not working. Although I am in a slightly bad mood because this is MN and yes we get cold but Oh My God....this week it hasn't been above 0 since Monday. I've been inside running this week. And todays workout would've had to be inside anyway because I needed to do speed work, but I was not able to even get a workout in because it was so freaking cold my car would not start today after work. That's how cold it got...I think it was just tired by the end of the day and sick of the cold...so I couldn't stop at the gym on the way home as I was worried stopping my car it wouldn't start again. And at -6 without the windchill, I wasn't running outside. So no run...tomorrow my plan is now to get up early, get a run in in the morning and then either at lunch or after work get a strength session in and a second short run before going to the Gopher hockey game. It's also kind of a goodbye to a friend as well. It's supposed to warm up a bit tomorrow I think...I hope...I really am missing that workout today though. I wasn't up this morning in time to workout because I was out with friends for dinner last night...and wine...and cheesecake...

Busy Cold Weekend

So I've been using my vacation well so far. Friday I braved the Mall of America and basically finished Christmas shopping, except for something for my grandma's...I think I'll get that tomorrow and just have to order one thing for a friend and I'm done. I hate shopping so it has taken time. After the shopping trip I made it to the gym, talked to my cute trainer, did some lower body, and elliptical and cycling...no run, figured I'd do that on Saturday and Sunday, little did I know...Met a friend for dinner, hadn't seen her since Halloween. On the way to dinner we exploited her discount at Target and I got myself a new TV...Then we had dinner and headed to our favorite watering hole and another friend of mine met us. Late night that night!! A few too many but oh well.

Saturday dawned with a snow storm, and cold. I didn't leave the house till much later, didn't get my run due to the cold. When I did venture out it was not a fun night to drive in, but I had friends to meet for dinner and thing is in MN if you opt to not go out in crappy weather, well, you'd be in all winter. So met the friends and we went to a nice Itlian place downtown had great conversation, good food and drinks and then went to a nearby more upscale bar and hung out chatting amongst ourselves. Unfortunately we got back to find my car gone. My friends live on an unmarked section of a snow emergency route and snow emergency was declared and towing ensued. So annoying and expensive but oh well.

Got up today and had some tenative plans but ended up staying around home, except for a quick trip to the gym and a run. What really sucks is that the cold turn we are taking, again, leaves us with a winter weather advisory for tomorrow. Windchill is going to be so bad that you can have frostbite in 10 minutes. I guess I'll be at the gym for a run. I'm doing a complementary session with a personal trainer tomorrow, he's not as hot as my hottie at the other gym, but he's cute...might end up selling me some sessions!

Give Me a Freaking Break!

It's *&#$ing March!!! I'm so sick of the negative temps that I am ready to go balistic on someone...Minnesota sucks!!! I haven't liked it, but I've been tolerant of the freaking cold temps this winter, if it doesn't warm up...I too cold to even think up a good threat. I went running outside after work yesterday and had to wear my balaclava, which isn't good when trying to do any type of speed work since you can't breath quite as normally through it (and I tend to clench my jaw to keep it a bit further off my mouth) all that said I still managed a respectible tempo run, 7 miles, 4 at tempo, wanted 8:15 pace, first tempo mile was 8:14, then 8:09, 8:05 and 7:55, oops...it was cold, I wanted to get done!! Averaged an 8:21 again which wasn't bad, especially considering how cold it was (not quite as cold as today, but defintiely single digits).

More Cold and New Toys

OK, I promise, at least for the next week, (we are supposed to warm up) that I'll stay away from posting about cold...but I had to do it one last time. This was the temp driving to the gym. The gym was very quiet (people don't want to get up in the cold!). I did strength for 25 minutes and a 4 mile run, I'm hoping to motivate to go againt this afternoon and get a bike ride and some plyometrics in, but we'll see. And yes, I hate cold, I'd take any hot temps you can throw at me over this (of course I'm weird in that my preferred marathon running temps are probably a start in the mid-50s topping at 65-70). I feel like a wuss running in the gym, but, as I've stated it to others, I can run in the cold. I have cold weather stuff and can do it. I can also get up and workout/run in the morning. It is hard to get out of bed but once I'm up and doing it, I enjoy it, but I CAN'T get up and run in the morning in the cold (when it gets warm there will be no problems I'll go right out the door for a nice run on days that are only running).

OK, so it's not so much "toys" per se, but it should be a bit of an exciting weekend. I went to Best Buy on Monday and spent a ton of money...since my condo is not likely to sell anytime soon (market is so bad and there are too many for sale in my complex and I just don't want to take less for it) I decided to go ahead and upgrade my appliances and enjoy them for a year or so before moving. Best Buy had a really good deal...fridge, over the range microwave, range and dishwasher for $2000, (Whirlpool brand) with free delivery and recycling of your old items. I couldn't pass it up. Then I added install of the dishwasher (because I need that right away, I'll have a cousin do the install of the microwave in a few weeks as I have a microwave to use till then, but not the dishwasher, no one is taking that away!!), and I swapped out the fridge for one that was a clearance one, and a little cheaper but almost the same, but I upgraded the dishwasher to one that is quieter (my kitchen is right off my living room) so it came out a little more but that's OK. I have a year to pay for it (love no interest financing). One problem is the fridge is too big for the space I have, so my dad is coming up to cut down my counter space and give another inch and a half so it will fit. I guess it's good that we're cold right now since I can put all the stuff from my fridge outside while we are messing with the exchange of the appliances etc. I'll have to take a picture and post it once they are all in place.

Cold Weather - Part 2

If you have ever wondered what the term “bone chilling cold” means, come to Minneapolis today. Seriously, the words bone chilling and mind numbing have definitely come to mind today.

Forecast for today:

The Twin Cities Metro area and the rest of Minnesota is under a WIND-CHILL WARNING until noon for Wind-Chill temperatures down to -45 below which means frostbite is possible in just a matter of minutes to exposed
skin. Winds in the Metro will be from the Northwest at 10 to 20 mph this morning
then decrease to less than 15 mph this afternoon producing Wind-Chill
temperatures of -20 below. Skies will be sunny today with increasing clouds late
this afternoon. Temperatures will be near -14 below ( Wind-Chill -38 below ) at
8 A.M. then -8 below ( Wind-Chill -30 below ) at noon and 0 degrees ( Wind-Chill
-18 below ) at 5 P.M. Sunset tonight is 5:17 P.M. Jonathan Yuhas KARE 11
1/30/2008 5:25 A.M.

And you know how I said that, well, -1, -15, doesn’t really make that much difference? Well, there is the one factor that can change that…wind. It was 40-42F Monday. Great day. I scheduled things to be able to get a nice run in outside. I wish I had gone more than the 4 miles I did. It felt great. I met up with a friend on Monday evening, we watched a movie then went for a drink…1 block from his house. The walk there was fine. The walk back, 2 hours later…sucked!! The winds were coming up, it was getting cold and by morning it was bitter. The winds were gusting to 35 mph yesterday. Today, so far, it’s not THAT windy, but it was enough this morning that the cold was almost unbearable. I didn’t want to crawl out of bed at 5:15 to go to the gym. I didn’t want to get into my car and wish for it to warm up when there was no way it was every going to actually feel warm…I didn’t want to go from my car into the gym and work out, and I SOOOO didn’t want to go back out into the cold (particularly since this time it wouldn’t be in a garage even) after the gym (I felt that way last night too, almost considered sleeping at the gym, or staying longer to work out just because it was so darn cold). I think others felt the same, because when I was showering and getting ready, the gym was dead. And usually there are at least 5-7 other people, pretty much everyday the same people, getting ready to go about their days as well. No way I’d even consider running outside in this. Not with that wind. It might be tolerable without the wind, but when you get that wind, it literally takes your breath away. Thank God I have a gym membership again. I have really become a wuss too…but this is understandable to not be out in!

Cold, Cold, Cold

Yes, I know, I live in MN, yes, it is KIND OF my choice (I say kind of because I was born here and they have these tags they put on you when you’re born that make it very, very difficult to get away from the border for too long, kind of like electric fences…OK, not really, but, well, my family is here, and while I want to move, it is difficult) but it doesn’t make me happy. I hate cold. I’m not a cold weather kind of person. In fact, my body reacts so badly to cold that until people witness it, they don’t even believe me. Try I can be in cold, get in out of it, and still be shivering and uncomfortable for an hour or more…I basically can get out for a run, and I have plenty of cold weather stuff for it that I’ve collected over the years, but when I get home, it’s so uncomfortable it almost doesn’t make it worth it. I get in the shower and everything turns red, I’m itchy, uncomfortable, and still cold. I typically need to get immediately into a hot bath and drink some hot chocolate and soak for 30 minutes before I can start to feel unfrozen…that said, all last year I did manage to do it, only using a treadmill once, and that was because there was 2 feet of snow on all the paths I wanted to run on at the time I wanted to run. Now I have a track that I can use indoors, and it has kept me from running outside unless it’s been in the 20s (I am tired of the treadmill)…that said, talking to my chiro last night during my adjustment she said her and a friend are going to run this weekend just for the freak out factor that drivers are going to have when they see her (and I know exactly what she means) and I said I was considering it, of course she pushed and said I really should…we’ll see. I don’t know that it’s the best thing for the bad head cold I’m battling, but if I have my way, that will be gone by tomorrow anyway. Problem is I wanted to run 10 miles…running 3 or 4 in the cold is one thing…but 10…when this is the forecast:

Hmm…yes, you read that right, the high Saturday is in the negative numbers. That’s not figuring in windchill either. And that’s different from the highs of -2 and -5 I’ve heard. For those not familiar with this extreme cold, I’ll tell you, -5, -10, there really isn’t a difference. Once it drops below 0, cold is just cold. Add in some wind and it makes a difference, then it’s d**n cold…
Besides my little rant about cold, I had to use this space to enlighten those that have never had the fun experience of “true” cold. My friend that now lives in Idaho, but was originally from Wisconsin, and I have discussed these items in great depth before…particularly when she moved to northern Kentucky where they really didn’t understand about the cold and she “enlightened” them to some of the phenomenon. Until you’ve been in it, you just don’t understand the feeling of walking out into the cold that is so cold your nose hairs actually freeze. Yes, you can actually feel it, and it’s not a pleasant feeling!! Or it’s so cold that it actually hurts to breath. Sucking that cold air directly into your lungs can cause a coughing fit, whether you have a cold or not!! And finally, our favorite…those days that it’s so cold, you come out to your car only to find the windows frosted up, on the inside, not so much fun scraping the inside of the windows…and it’s not like you really want to be going anywhere anyway because no matter how good the car heater works, it never really warms up, and you never really feel warm…this is the joy of the true cold.

Again, I’m not sure why I live here. And anytime I hear people talk about how much they love it, I want to smack them. It’s why you’ll never, ever, hear me complain about the hottest days. It can be 100 degrees, and 70% plus humidity (yes, it does get warm here in MN too!!) and I won’t say a word, I might even, just then, turn on my A/C…I’d much rather it be hot than cold. I’m much better in the heat than the cold…and again, yes, you might ask, why do I live here?? Well…because I have yet to figure out exactly where I’d like to live that I can also afford. And I do live for spring. We have a beautiful spring (the 2-3 days we get it) and when you get that warm lift to the air, and birds are coming in, the green has come through and flowers are in bloom and you can literally smell spring in the air…nothing can compare to that.

Brr...

OK, again I ask WHY do I live in MN?

(notice the description for Friday night)

The Weekend in Recap

So much to do at work but so lacking the motivation so here is an update.

Friday we were lucky enough to get to leave work early. I found this out right after my workout, I had done 5 on the treadmill because it’s too freaking cold to go outside (yes, it is April, but it was so cold and windy I just couldn’t tolerate it) I got back to my desk around 1:30 and we got to leave at 2…that was awesome. Gave me time to stop at Super Target on the way home and get the few things I needed for my dessert for Easter dinner and then head home for nap, which I did manage. I got up about 2 hours later and checked email and the friend I was unsure about was coming with, she tried to call me too however and left a message that she was up for going for a little while, but not necessarily late. OK, well, whatever she was coming out. Made plans to meet up a bit early so we could go to a place she would find a drink she liked and still get to the regular place by happy hour. Well, the place we were going isn’t the place any of us likes for a hang out, but they have her drink…personally I think she’s too fussy as she likes margaritas, OK, fine, but they can make them anywhere as she wasn’t getting them blended at the bar we were at and if she asks the bartender at the other place he will make drinks the way she wants them, I think she just kind of needs something to complain about and after the antics this weekend, I'm not going to be too anxious to go out with her again.

So anyway, there was a really, really cute waiter I was staring at and I got a bit of a buzz before we went to where I might see C…so I guess the early stop was fine. We got there, my dive, my local hangout, my Cheers, and had a shot right away. No idea why…but oh well. The evening progressed and I was talking to a guy I had met earlier in the week and another guy, then ran into someone else that I knew but hadn’t seen in a long time, he didn’t remember me but I know people he knows and reminded him where I knew him from...later he was hitting on my roomie and she was not appreciating his come on lines…mainly talking about how much money he makes, what kind of car he drives, etc. She wasn’t impressed. She did like another guy that we had been talking with though, and got his number and has chatted with him a bit. She has some things going on, he has some things going on, so neither are really probably right for much, but a friendship is cool. So the reason was upset with the one friend...we were going to go for pizza after the bar, it sounded so good and there is a place open late, there was someone else that was going to come with us too…a new potential crush of mine if you will, and my friend wasn’t game. She was absolutely insistent that she was going home and was not going for pizza…ummm…yeah…OK, you aren’t driving, isn’t it friend rule/etiquette to help another friend out with a guy and if that means staying out a little longer when you can SLEEP IN THE NEXT DAY ANYWAY and don’t have plans to do anything but watch movies at home on Saturday night anyway. Sigh…we were going to come back and have pizza anyway and told him to ride along but last minute he turned off to go home (he lives around the corner, oh and no, I don't have a thing for Leo DiCaprio, BUT the crush kind of resembles him in this movie...kind of strange, I've never been attracted to Leo but found him sexy in The Departed and then meet a guy that looks like him...) and said he’d see me around at "the place"…he did give me a hug, but he didn’t ask for my number, he didn’t ask me for an actual meet up time and place…a guy friend suggested it's hard to know when to ask and not be pushy, etc and another friend suggested he might be shy...guess we'll see. Darn friends that won't heed etiquette...thing is, roomie wasn't drinking and has less sleep, weird hours and what not and had had the bad man experience as well, but SHE was still fine to go. My roomie is awesome. She's also a good friend and she was trying to get to know the interest as well, feel out what he was like, but the other friend was down at the other end of the bar talking to people she apparently knew, but wasn't even trying to talk to any of us (I had made trips back and forth to talk to the groups I knew)...she has her very set, I need to be talking to a guy I'm interested in (even though I've been known to chat with her and whatever guy she was interested in) or I don't want to be out kind of mindset and it gets annoying. OK, so maybe I was being rude toward the end only talking to the interest, but it wasn't my WHOLE night (and I've never taken off on her to go to a guys house).

Saturday I got up feeling fine but a bit tired and wanted to run. It was 16. That didn’t include the windchill. April sucks. I opted out of the run and was going to go later, but roomie and I went for food then a bit of shopping and finally home for naps. I ended up sleeping about 3 hours. Off and on. I haven’t slept good in so long I really need to catch up anyway so I did that and then got stuff ready for Sunday and then had to work at 6:30. Ended up meeting a friend out for a snack after (he had beer, I drop and ate) and then home to bed late again. And again no real great sleep. Up Sunday, got a quick light run (had a really good start to the week with 25 miles in by Thursday and then only got another 9 after that) and then to my sister’s for dinner and then to B&N to work. So annoying. I realized I 1) can’t work there two days in a row and 2) can’t work 8 days in a row, and by the time Saturday comes and I have a day off again, it will be 14 days in a row that I’ve worked and not had a day off. I need at least one full day to do what I want or I just freak out. I was in a great mood on Saturday night, have been managing to fake it at least and give off good vibe while working, well, that doesn’t work two days in a row…sigh…After work on Sunday roomie and I went to see her new friend as he was working (he's a bartender at a bar near our house) and had a bite to eat.

My eating was awful too. I’m up about 2 pounds from where I have been…and I’m going on vacation and might need to wear a swim suit while gone on Saturday. Sigh…hopefully I can run off this crap and not eat for the next 5 days and be back down at least the 2 pounds, and maybe more solidly the 3 that I thought I had lost. But I am meeting a friend for dinner tomorrow, have to be careful on what I order…the rest of the week I should be able to be good though - OK, this was written yesterday, thankfully after a double day (7 at lunch and 10 after work) I am back down to reasonable places. I'm hoping for another 7 at lunch today and another double tomorrow and possibly Friday before I'm out of town for so long!

I feel Guilty

I called in sick to work last night. Legitimately I was (am) sick…but still feel the guilt…but why should I? It’s not like I called in sick to go watch a band play (I might have done that before), or to just go for a workout (I might have done that before too). In fact I got home, I ate some crap (ie half a box or more of Lucky Charms and a cup or two of Edy’s Vanilla Bean ice cream) watched Wedding Crashers and then crawled into bed, where I actually went to sleep around 8:30, but was awake off and on through the night CAUSE I CAN’T BREATH!!! OK, so maybe I should break down and take something, but I so don’t want to. I suck on Zinc (Target brand Cold-eze) lozenges, alternating with Halls Defense Vitamin C with Zinc and Ecanacia (sp) every 3-4 hours. Last night I took some Airbourne Nighttime that is new to the market (so not liking the hot apple cider flavor, I much prefer the orange, but this supposedly had other things in it as well) but I thought the hot might help. I think tonight I’m going to dig out my vaporizer and put some Vicks into it, if I can find it that is, so maybe it will loosen stuff up. I just hate that I’m sneezing so much…colds suck. And I feel like such a baby. The only time I felt good yesterday, amazingly enough, was when I was down using the elliptical trainer and strength training. I told my boss I wanted to move my computer down to the fitness center so I could work while I was working out…Of course I don’t have a laptop so that is difficult…Anyway, today I elliptical trained at lunch again, since I’m not strength training today I did a 45 minute session instead of the 30 I usually do, then I’m going to Dome run tonight. Get in out of the cold (right now it’s 4) and get my longer run of the week, probably 10 miles, being in the cold, with a cold, probably not the best of ideas…I might even go use something indoors over the weekend since it’s going to be very, very cold this weekend, but we’ll see. If nothing else maybe I’ll sweat and run this cold out of me….It did take a lot of strength of will to NOT run last night since I wasn’t working (I had planned on intentionally not running yesterday since I knew I would be working last night and wouldn’t have time) and it was 17 out…yeah, a heat wave, in fact it had snow flurries I really wanted to run in at lunch, but I didn’t have outdoor stuff with me, so I didn’t…This is sad, even though I am not getting what I feel are quality runs, cause they are slow, I still want to run…and most times they are feeling so hard (again, could be because of the cold coming on). I know Dori commented that an old coach of hers suggested we do run slower in the cold, that could be true, I was going to say I had heard otherwise, but then realized that no, what I had heard otherwise was that we burn more calories in the cold, we actually don’t (darnit anyway) but it is a nice thought isn’t it??? I would so be doing more cold running if I thought it would burn more calories!!

Cold Day

That is the current intellicast weather, on weather.com it's showing -3 (must not do the what it is and what it feels like that intellicast does). It's 10:15, I finished running about 35 minutes ago. Bsically I rolled out of bed and just pulled on layer after layer...a light tech layer, a 3 season top, a hooded heavier tech top that's kind of a 3 season layer and my longer, windbreaker jacket on top. Heavy tights, lined windbreaker pants and heavy running pants on bottom. My wool socks, balaclava (which I did eventually have to lower off my mouth), my hood off my top pulled up and another hat on tome of that...and then my glittens on my hands. I may have been a bit overdressed, but I never felt cold, and to me that's key. My plan had been maybe 6 miles today, I went out thinking I'd do 5, but managed 7. It wasn't fast by any means (1:04:45) but felt OK. I finished the week then with 39 miles, in staying with my upper 30s trend, good base building for things this year. I took two days off of running this week, and one day was completely free of even cross training (although I did a little bit of core work and stretching yesterday).

Yesterday was a relaxed day too. I didn't have to work, and I didn't go out, other than to run a couple of errands, one to go spend a $10 gift certificate that I had that expired yesterday (and got me a work shirt and pants for $16.99, although I failed to find any jeans which was something I had mainly been looking for). I thought about going to the grocery store, but it was cold and I didn't feel like making more stops than I needed. I have to go out later today to work and I'm so not looking forward to it. Oh well...it will keep me from being a pig like I was yesterday. We won't even dicusss what I ate...no more of that!