A 10-miler, forced rest, and a snow day

I awoke Saturday morning in a sweat. Literally. I was excited for the outdoor run. It was the hubster's turn to take the girls to horsy riding so my 9-miler could happen without having to rush out the door at 8am. And it is a good thing, because at 8am, it was 4°. Huh? But I thought it wasn't going to drop below 15°? Curses...foiled again. Well, I wasn't in any hurry so I allowed the clock to tick by.

I had an assortment of goodies to take along. A run longer than 6 miles gives me the opportunity to test new products. I never use them all, but variety is always a good thing, because you never know what you are in the mood for until you are out there.

Assortment of goodies

When I checked the trusty thermometer at around 10am-ish, the temperature had made it to where it was supposed to bottom out...around 15°. This run was happening regardless, so out I went.

Hal said to run 9 miles. I don't have a 9-miler mapped out on Runmeter. I do have a 10-mile route, so my intentions were to do that route, then if I had to walk the last mile, I had that option.

Heading out it was a bit breezy, and blowing right into my face. I was hoping for a break when I took the turn to the west, and I got it. So, off I went on a nice easy pace. at least it felt easy. I realized later that it was a pretty good clip, yet it never felt that way.

I stopped to take this photo. This red barn was just gleaming over the white snow and blue sky. Plus, it was gel time. OH, and I don't recommend Peanut Butter GU Gel. Too thick...blech.

My view at about the 3-mile mark

The turn around was the 5-mile mark. All is well. This particular route goes right passed the stables where my girls have their lesson. And as I passed it the second time, my husband met me at the corner.

"How's it going?" he shouted.

"Great!" I answered. "It's a great day for a run!"

"You aren't even winded!" He said. "That is amazing!"

Yeah, it is amazing! He pretty my reiterated my own thoughts. I wasn't even winded. What a great feeling.

I ended up finishing the 10 miles. Great run. But it whooped me that night. I might also add that when I got back to the house, my running beverage had already started to freeze. I guess it was colder than I thought.

Sunday was a forced rest day...and I say "forced" because it was another beautiful Minnesota day. But everything ached from my butt cheeks down. My P90X Legs and Back routine on Friday did not help the issue. I knew I needed the break and I took it. There you go...

This morning was a chaotic one to say the least. I had to learn how to operate the Bobcat and plow the drive lest we end up with a foot of snow tonight like they are saying. I ended up taking the dogs for their daily walk and there was already 4 inches of snow on the ground. This was trying. I made it just 3.5 miles in about an hours time. It was slow and tedious. But it was better than nothing. And the dogs needed it.

Me, driving the Bobcat

Tomorrow is a scheduled 3-miler. It will be a rough, crazy start to the day because we are unsure of what the weather will do, and I have a class tomorrow. If my neighbor can plow out the drive for me, I can get it done in the morning on the treadmill. If not, it will have to wait until I get home. I'm kind of hoping for a snow day. Then we can all do whatever the heck we want. In Minnesota, however, the snow has to be at least 4 feet deep to get a snow day. The threshold to let the kids out at recess is 10°, after all. These Minnesotans are pretty hearty folks.

Wish me luck with that snow day, would ya?