There's no place like home?

Ahhh. Kansas. I have a love/hate relationship with the state. I have come to love it because it is the place where my husband was born and spent the first 12 years of his life. His older brother and wife, and nephew and wife live there now. We always have a great time when we visit them. On a bright, sunny day, the sky goes on forever. And at night, the stars blow your mind. And the weather...ah, that Kansas weather. It is either perfect, or it's not. There is rarely an in-between. The day can start out perfectly. Then, just like that, here comes the wind, and the temperatures drop like a rock. As I write this, I am in the backseat of my car, jolting around in such wind, because my daughter is more car-sick than I am...so she gets to ride shotgun.

There are days in Kansas where it is so hot, you can fry an egg on the hood of your car. Add the wind, and it feels like an inferno. And there are days where you can watch a thunderstorm brew over the Colorado state line and head straight for you, dumping the most impressive amount of rain you have ever seen in just minutes. Then, there are days in the dead of winter, like yesterday, when you wished you lived there. It started out cool, and rose to 70° by the afternoon. It was a bit cloudy, but it was a day to remember.

And it was a day to run.

We took a quick trip out there. Quicker than we would have liked. But suffice it to say, for me, the 9 hour drive there and the 9 hour drive back was well worth the 12 mile run. I actually got to sweat.

Kansas is an equal combination of country and paved roads. And there is little population density. You can literally run for miles before you see another human entity. In fact, I only saw cars a handful of times on this run. Once, when I crossed the highway, and again when I crossed it a second time on the return trip. Unreal. The gravel roads were a challenge, but they controlled my pace, and strengthened  my ankles. The paved roads were flat and smooth with a generous shoulder. And the scenery? Perfect for a runner.

So, yes. This trip it was love. I have decided that if I moved to Kansas, I would become a warrior. I could run until I drop.

But, reality sets in as I glance at the car thermometer the moment we cross the Minnesota state line...11°. And snowing.

Welcome home.

Miracles do happen

I was just a bit anxious about weighing in this week. I've been off of the amoxicillin for 2 weeks now, and it was time to get back in there. I know I was doing better with my weight by the way I felt on Monday, and the two outdoor runs this week really put the nails in the coffin.  This is the jump I needed to get that marathon training underway next week. I'm so excited to start this journey!

All I have to do is survive a few days at my brother-in-laws and his wife's place. It is always an eat and drink fest. But I'm not drinking, and that means I should be able to control my eating.

It will be 30 degrees warmer than it is at home and I'm looking forward to a long, early morning run on Sunday. I'll be on runmeter and dailymile if you want to find me!

Sorry about the low-lighting in the photo. It was 6am. I don't even think I turned the light on. LOL! I had to enhance this just so you could see it!

Did you weigh in today?

Running in chains...literally

Ahhh! Overnight rain and snow, then temperatures dipping back below freezing. For Minnesota, that means ice. Determined to get that run in no matter what today, I decided to break out the chains. Not the tire chains, mind you, but the sneaker chains. I figured if worse came to worse and the roads weren't that bad, I could remove them mid run. I hadn't really thought about where I would keep them...but I digress.

These things are pretty darn nifty. In the end, the only trouble I had that I was running in slushy puddles so my toes were getting wet. The toe band on these started annoying my big toes. I don't know it is because my shoes got wet, or because they were just too tight around the toes. If I have to wear them again, I'll put a kitchen sponge or something similar under the band at the toe. I think that will do the trick.

After I got home and conversed with my husband, he was quite shocked that I ran in them. But to be honest, there was a comfort factor associated with them that even made those shiny areas not so scary. I didn't slip once. Perhaps the road just wasn't icy. But still, I'm glad I put them on.

It was an easy 10 miler today. I'm happy to have gotten the milage in since the cold returns for the weekend. Sunday is promising to be the next warm day. We will see what the weekend brings.

Today, I overdressed. I know, right? It was mild. and I wore one too many tops. Could have done without the extra. But I was bright and neon. That is all that matters.

I just noticed I'm already at 291 miles for 2013. Not too shabby. I didn't set a goal for the year. Perhaps I should. What about you? Do you have a mileage goal for 2013?

*Note: This really was a nice steady run with the elevation in heart rate at the end coming with the increase in elevation. You can see where I stopped for a gel and some liquid!