Feeling Super Hardcore

Well, this week I ran in all kinds of freaking weather. Sub freezing temps? Yep. Snow? Yep. Wind and rain? Yep! Good, normal weather? Nope!

I had fun running in DC. I ran all around the ‘burbs in Virginia and over into Georgetown, around Teddy Roosevelt Island and just had fun exploring. When I’m there I always take the metro everywhere so it was fun seeing how everything is connected above ground! I had big plans to do my long run on Friday and do do the National Mall/Monuments/Georgetown run but after the snow the roads were icy and I’m from CA- I don’t do that. Next trip.

I was actually surprised how well I did running outside in the cold weather. One of the days the temps were in the teens and I thought I’d die but surprisingly I felt fine the whole time. On Thursday it started snowing during my run and despite a frozen ponytail I felt fine the entire time. Maybe I’m not such a princess afterall! I realized you just have to cover your ears, hands and ankles and it’s fine. Oh and wear layers. It really is about the layers.

It also made me appreciate California. I ran on the treadmill two days I was there because I don’t do below zero temps and the ice on my last day was scary. I never have to run on the treadmill here- even in the worst storms it’s possible and safe to run outdoors.

I returned home to California after a horrific flight [well, ok the flight was fine but I was delayed 7 hours and stuck in Dulles and arrived home at 7am instead of 11pm] to wind and tons of rain. After sleeping most of the day away on Saturday I went for a little 6 mile jog to loosen myself up and work off all the holiday-ness I’ve been eating. Running in the rain felt shockingly warm after DC and it felt great to move a bit.

This morning I ran 13 miles through a freaking downpour. And I mean downpour. I took a page out of my own sightseeing book and decided to run through the “touristy” parts of Sac [to be clear, our stuff isn’t THAT cool]. I ran through old town, to the train museum which is apparently world class, around the Capitol and through midtown. Although it’s just a couple miles from my house I’ve never really done that. The rain was fine… once you’re wet, you’re wet but the wind was not okay. At one point the gusts were so intense that it blew my hat off my head!!!

I didn’t really do any speed work this week but I think I ended up in the neighborhood of 53 miles and considering I was across the country and back on top of all the various weather, I’ll take it!

This week I’ll do what I can on the speed work front but I have more travel planned so we’ll see… But once the first of the year hits we are in full blown, go for broke hardcore marathon mode. No skipping workouts!