Daily Mile

I can say, with confidence, that running in the cold is not my favorite.  Now, let me clarify.  I do not like running in the heat either.  Not that cold or heat ever stops me from running.  They're just not my favorite.  50º-60º has got to be my favorite running temperature.  Unfortunately, I live in a place that seems to skip Spring and Fall.  Here in Salt Lake our seasons go like this: almost winter, winter, not quite winter, hotter than hell.

But, enough whining about the cold.  My run was quite nice this morning, and I felt good despite the chill in the air.  It's not that cold yet, so I suppose I shouldn't moan too much.  I know Fall is certainly here though, because my entire run was in the dark.  And let me tell you what!  9400 South between Highland Drive and 1300 East has an alarming lack of street lamps!  I ran on major roads this morning because they're more well lighted and populated and make me feel less like I'm in a scary murder movie.  I'm not too much of a sissy, but it's still a little scary running through dark sections of town.  I'm also less likely to run into dogs out on major streets and after a little bit of a chase from a random dog in my neighborhood this morning, that is a welcome thing.  What out folks!  I'm not afraid to pepper spray your pooch! 

7 miles
1:16
10:51 pace

The Gully

First, for those that worry, a note about safety.  I always run with a friend and my dog, Ozzy, when I run trails in the dark.  I carry pepper spray, and so do my other runner girlfriends.  I also carry a whistle and a cell phone.  When I run trails during the day I bring Ozzy whenever possible.  Many trails here are watersheds and there are no dogs allowed.  I always tell Jeff where I am going and when I'll be back.  When I run with music I only ever put one ear bud in so I can hear what is going on around me and I don't wear them on trails at all.  Now, on to my story...

Today Katherine and I met at (the absurd time) 5:15am at Dimple Dell Gully.  It was 28° out and even though I had lots of layers on it's still darn cold at that time of day.  It was pitch black out and very slow going.  The ground in the gully is rough with lots of rocks and indentations from horse hooves with lots of ups and downs. Even in daylight I usually run at about a 12-13 minute pace on this trail.  Ozzy loves running with us there because at that time of day I let him run off leash.  He runs up ahead and waits to see our headlamps and flashlights before going on.  At the halfway point I decided to take a drink of water only to discover that the bite valve on my water pack was frozen solid.

Note to self: Sip from water on a regular basis when temps are below freezing.

No biggie really, since we only had 2.5 miles left to go.  Overall, the run was fun.  We even had to cross a stream twice and joked that it was the Rucky Chucky River crossing.  If you haven't read Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes or are not familiar with the Western States Endurance Run, definitely look at that link.  Your mind will be blown!

5 miles
1hr 10 min
14 minute pace

Daily Mile

Today was another three miler.  I was supposed to do five, but I figured I'd save five for Thursday since it's Thanksgiving and I'm certain to eat more than my fair share of food that day.  Katherine met me and she, Ozzy and I headed up to Flat Iron Mesa for a few laps around the park.  Today was somewhere between feeling good and feeling apathetic about running.  We were a bit faster than yesterday and enjoyed the sunshine and good conversation as we ran.
3 miles
32:39
10:53 min/mile pace

Into the Wind

There is a wind advisory today of 30mph winds with gusts of up to 50mph.  So what does any sane person do?  Go running of course.  It actually isn't that windy out yet.  I did 3 (2.98 if you're really counting) miles in 31 minutes which is actually pretty speedy for me.  I brought my dog, Ozzy.  He loves running with me, but is pretty freaked out by wind so it was interesting.  At one point I thought I was going down because he ran straight into my legs.  Luckily, aside from screaming obscenities, nothing happened and I continued on my merry way.

It's odd to have no training plan to follow.  How far should I run?  Should I be taking it easy?  Should I even run today?  Luckily, my new plan will start on November 19, so I only have a couple more weeks of limbo before I will have my sense of purpose back.  Eleven more days. Think I can make it?