Same Time, Same Channel

Easy run + level 2 shred.

5:06 am, 7°F, 75% humidity, winds calm, a couple inches of powdery snow on the ground.

I debated whether to run outside this morning or run on the treadmill. I decided to be hard core and run outside. I kind of like to be outside in the early morning when there's snow on the ground. It's very peaceful.

I ran my 4 mile neighborhood loop twice instead of a bigger 8 mile loop because I didn't want to venture too far from home. Most of the snow fell yesterday, not overnight, and so some places were plowed with varying levels of success. About a little more than half of my run was through neighborhoods while the rest was on main roads. In the neighborhoods, I ran in the road where the cars had smashed the snow down. I think there had also been a plow through at some point yesterday, but the neighborhood roads were still snow-packed. On the main roads, the sidewalks had been plowed for the most part and so they were either relatively clear or had a thin layer of snow, depending how recently they were plowed. I wore my YakTrax and that helped.

I managed to get my oven fixed on Friday, but now my refrigerator stopped working last night. Why are all of these things happening right now? Fortunately, it's wicked cold outside, so I put the food from the refrigerator in boxes and put the boxes in my garage, which is plenty cold.

Mechanically-enforced progression run.

Welcome to the frozen wasteland, where right now, at 11:37 am, it is 4 degrees outside. We didn't get the snow that they forecast for today, but we did get the cold. So I wimped out and stayed inside today. I got up at 4:30 like usual, but then I worked during the time I would normally run and shower. After all my kids were off to school, I came to work, and during the time that I would normally work, I ran and showered.

I set the treadmill at a 1% incline and started out at 6 mph (10:00 pace) and ran a mile at that pace. At the end of that mile and each mile thereafter, I hit the speed increase button once. So my splits were 10:00, 9:50, 9:41, 9:31, 9:23, 9:14, 9:05, 8:57, 8:49, 8:42. The treadmill won't let you go for more than 60 minutes, so I did six miles, then stopped the treadmill and restarted it and then did the rest.

It was very boring. The blinds were closed and I was too lazy to go over there and open them, so I couldn't even watch the traffic out the window. There were a couple of other people in the gym, but because of where the treadmills are positioned, they were all behind me and so I couldn't see them. I could see a little sliver of tree branches in the gap between the blinds and the window frame, and it looked like the branches were bouncing up and down as I ran. That was my visual entertainment for an hour and a half or so. I did have music for audio entertainment.

In other news, after a great big hit to my bank account, my refrigerator is working now.

Interminable treadmill torture.

When I got up this morning, it was -12 degrees, not counting the wind chill. By 10 am, it was -2 degrees. Now, at a little past 1 pm, we're up to 7 degrees. So we're warming up, but I still did the work at home, run at work thing. Maybe I'll make it outside tomorrow.

My kids had a one-hour delayed start at school, so I was particularly late getting in to the office to run. By the end of my run, the gym was quite crowded. After I was finished and getting dressed, I wondered which of the women in the gym the leopard-print bra that was hanging in the locker room belonged to.

I decided to take it a little easier on the treadmill today than I did yesterday, so I left the incline at 0 and did 2 miles at 10:00 pace, and then the rest of it at 9:31 pace. I took my shoes off and ran barefoot for the last half mile. Also, I opened the blinds before I started running today so at least I had the traffic outside to look at.

Easy run.

5:04 am, 10° F, 40% humidity, winds calm.

I considered working for a while early this morning and then running after the sun rises, but the temperature was high enough when I got up this morning that I decided to go with my regular routine and get the running done first. For the most part, the sidewalks on the main streets in this area have been plowed. I encountered some snowy spots, but it wasn't bad. The snow that is on the ground is more crunchy than slick.

My legs felt surprisingly good on my run this morning. I guess the treadmill didn't take too much out of me the last couple of days.

I was warm enough until near the end of my run, when I couldn't pull my neck gaitor back over my face because I had let it fall down for a while when I was feeling warm and it had frozen. Now I'm really cold, but one son just complained that his shower was cold because another son is taking a bath. So I'll have to wait a while if I want hot water.

I was glad to get outside and off the treadmill this morning.

AP: 9:12. Splits: 9:34, 9:28, 9:15, 9:26, 9:04, 9:01, 8:47, 9:03, and 0.40 @ 9:02.

Easy run + level 2 Shred.

5:18 am, 17°F, 45% humidity, wind 2 SE, waning crescent moon.

How is it that the temperature dropped 3 degrees between 5 and 6 am? I've seen it do that before and it always perplexes me. I would think the overnight low would bottom out earlier and that the temperature would be rising by that time.

My run was a little icier today than yesterday because we actually had a little melting yesterday and then it froze again, but I didn't run into any significant problems.

I saw a couple of other runners this morning. I haven't been seeing many people out early in the morning lately.

AP: 9:24. Splits: 10:01, 9:38, 9:31, 9:13, 9:13, 9:05, 0.38 @ 8:40.

**Update**

It was time to go to work, but I took a nap instead. Now I have to go to work.

Long run.

7:00 am, 31° F, 46% humidity, wind 4 SSE.

Busy morning. The Highline Canal Trail is still covered in snow, and so Team Michelle and I opted to run the streets around Highlands Ranch instead. I ran the long way to Michelle's house (the other Michelle lives next door). It was just over 3 miles. Then the three of us ran 10 miles together, and then I ran home a shorter way, about a mile and a third.

AP: 9:33. Splits: 9:20, 8:55, 8:52, 9:38, 9:49, 9:42, 9:37, 9:35, 9:52, 9:52, 9:50, 9:54, 9:50, 9:12, 0.46 @ 8:58.

Team Michelle and I, as well as another friend, are registered as a group for the Canyonlands Half Marathon lottery. I hope we get in. Also, the Michelles are talking about running a marathon next year. They seem to have caught the marathon bug. I'm excited for them. Also, they've been running 3 days/week for about a year and now they're going to move up to 4 days a week. Now if I could just get them to join the blog . . .

I had some other stuff to do right after my run. I'm just taking a quick break now to post my workout.

 **Update**
Nap accomplished.